Foundations of a Sports Network

This chapter chronicles the early endeavors to secure funding for a revolutionary television concept, highlighting pivotal meetings with dismissive executives and eventually securing support from Getty Oil. It covers the intricate negotiations involved in launching a major sports network, including the strategic approach to pitches and the challenges of engaging influential stakeholders. Additionally, the chapter reflects on the significant impact that ESPN has had on the sports landscape and the necessity of effective leadership and negotiation skills in this evolving industry.

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Welcome to another episode of The Tim Ferriss Show, where it is my job to deconstruct world-class performers to tease out the routines, habits, et cetera that you can apply to your own life.

You’ll get plenty of that in this special episode, which features my interview with Bill Rasmussen from my 2017 TV Show Fear{less}. The “less” is in parentheses because the objective is to teach you to fear less, not to be fearless.

Fear{less} features in-depth, long-form conversations with top performers, focusing on how they’ve overcome fears and made hard decisions, embracing discomfort and thinking big.

It was produced by Wild West Productions, and I worked with them to make both the video and audio available to you for free, my dear listeners. You can find the video of this episode on YouTube.com/TimFerriss, and eventually you’ll be able to see all episodes for free at YouTube.com/TimFerriss.

Spearheaded by actor/producer and past podcast guest Vince Vaughn, Wild West Productions has produced a string of hit movies including The Internship, Couples Retreat, Four Christmases, and The Break-Up.

In 2020, Wild West produced the comedy The Opening Act, starring Jimmy O. Yang and Cedric The Entertainer. In addition to Fear{less}, their television credits include Undeniable with Joe Buck, ESPN’s 30 for 30 episode about the ’85 Bears, and the Netflix animated show F is for Family.

Please enjoy!

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It’s free, it’s always going to be free, and you can subscribe now at tim.blog/friday.

A recap of ESPN’s opening night. [05:34]

What accounts for Bill’s lifelong obsession with sports? [07:41]

How Bill’s family — especially his father — encouraged him to excel from an early age. [09:46]

By the time he got to college, what did Bill imagine he would do for a career — and what ultimately put a crimp in his ambitions? [11:20]

What did Bill learn during his initial foray into the working world, and how did this lead to the start of his first business? [13:47]

How did Bill segue from this first business into the world of sports broadcasting? Was his lack of experience at the beginning any hindrance? [17:01]

What does Bill’s self-talk sound like when he’s trying to convince himself to try something new? [21:33]

As confident as Bill is in trying new things, he’s not lived a life without self-doubt-inducing setbacks. Here’s one that led to the much bigger success that would become ESPN. [23:04]

What ESPN looked like in the conceptual stages — when its financial reserve consisted of a $9,000 credit card advance. [29:40]

How Bill and his team drummed up additional funds for the fledgling network. [31:50]

The clever reason behind shrink-wrapping the early NCAA pitch deck. [35:29]

Enter Walter Byers. [37:07]

What launch day and the days leading up to it looked like. [39:06]

The best decision made at ESPN. [41:32]

24 hours, seven days a week is a lot of television to fill. What are some of the more esoteric ways that time has been filled at ESPN? [42:33]

Why did Bill leave ESPN at 2:05 p.m. on June 25th, 1984? [44:08]

Bill’s secret to effective pitching and negotiation, and a few book recommendations. [45:09]

ESPN has the power to bring people together — except for when someone needs a scapegoat for divorce proceedings. [46:44]

What does success mean to Bill, and who does he think of when he hears the word? Does he consider himself a success? [47:45]

If Bill had to give a high-profile, 20-minute talk about something unrelated to what made him famous, what would the topic be? What book would he recommend to someone who wanted to learn more about this topic? [48:57]

Current challenges. [50:19]

Bill’s best advice for someone seeking to launch their own business. [52:00]

What Bill’s billboard would say. [53:17]

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