ESPN is a sports network that operates 24 hours a day on cable television in the United States. ESPN stands for E_ntertainment and _S _p_orts _N_etwork. ESPN broadcasts sports competition at all levels, from high school through college and professional. It also covers international competition in such sports as automobile racing, track and field, tennis, and golf. In addition to broadcasting sports events, the network presents investigative reporting pieces and original dramatic series and motion pictures. The network has been credited with revolutionizing the way sports is presented on television. The success of the network demonstrated that the public was willing to watch sports in amounts previously never considered by other TV networks.
ESPN has become one of the most influential forces in American sports, led by its daily newscast called SportsCenter. A number of ESPN personalities have become sports celebrities and are considered powerful figures in shaping attitudes about players, teams, and issues in sports. The most prominent personalities have included commentators Chris Berman, Bob Ley, and Stuart Scott; Dick Vitale in college basketball; and Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit in college football.
Today, ESPN includes several television channels, a 24-hour program on radio, and a magazine. It operates a Spanish-language edition in the United States called ESPN Deportes. ESPN International operates a group of networks in Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East.
ESPN began broadcasting on Sept. 7, 1979, from studios in Bristol, Connecticut. The network began slowly, primarily televising minor sports during its early years. It added National Football League games in 1987 and major league baseball in 1990.
