ESPN
Logo since 1985 | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Bristol, Connecticut |
| Programming | |
| Language | English |
| Picture format | 720p (HDTV) (selected matches are upscaled to 2160p 4K UHD broadcasts on selected platforms) (downscaled to letterboxed 480i for the SDTV feed) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | The Walt Disney Company (72%; via ABC Inc.) Hearst Communications (18%) National Football League (10%) |
| Parent | ESPN Inc. |
| Sister channels | |
| History | |
| Launched | September 7, 1979 |
| Links | |
| Website | espn.com |
| Availability | |
| Streaming media | |
| ESPN+ | espn.com/espnplus (American pay-TV subscribers only) |
| Service(s) | DirecTV Stream, FuboTV, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, YouTube TV |
ESPN (an initialism of their original name, Entertainment and Sports Programming Network until 1985) is an American basic cable sports broadcasting network and the flagship property of ESPN, a joint venture of the Walt Disney Company (72% and operational control via indirect subsidiary ABC Inc.), Hearst Communications (18%), and the National Football League (10%). It was founded on September 7, 1979, by Bill Rasmussen, Scott Rasmussen and Ed Eagan.
ESPN broadcasts primarily from studio facilities located in Bristol, Connecticut, and also operates offices and auxiliary studios in Miami, Orlando, New York City, Las Vegas, Seattle, Charlotte, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles. James Pitaro has been chairman since March 5, 2018, following the resignation of John Skipper on December 18, 2017.
As of December 2023, ESPN is available to approximately 70 million pay television households in the United States — down from its 2011 peak of 100 million households. Through ESPN International, it operates regional channels in Africa, Australia, Latin America and the Netherlands. In Canada, it owns a 20% interest in The Sports Network (TSN) and its five sister networks. Despite the network's success, criticism of ESPN includes accusations of biased coverage.