Legends Behind the Lens: George Bodenheimer He rose from the mailroom to become one of the most influential leaders in sports television history By Brandon Costa, Director of Digital
Friday, June 5, 2020 - 12:00 pm
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
The story of American sports television is engrained in the history of this nation, rising on the achievements of countless incredible men and women who never once appeared on our screens. During this pause in live sports, SVG is proud to present a celebration of this great industry. Legends Behind the Lens is a look at how we got here seen through the people who willed it to be. Each weekday, we will share with you the story of a person whose impact on the sports-television industry is indelible.
Legends Behind the Lens is presented in association with the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame and the SVG Sports Broadcasting Fund. In these trying times - with so many video-production professionals out of work - we hope that you will consider (if you are able) donating to the Sports Broadcasting Fund. Do so by visiting sportsbroadcastfund.org.
___________________________
My first day at ESPN was a rather sharp awakening to my duties, recalls George Bodenheimer, former president of ESPN, of his first day working in the mailroom at the then fledgling network. I wore a coat and tie to work, and that lasted about 30 minutes as I was moving boxes, delivering mail, and going back and forth to the airport.
Those trips back and forth to the airport, and the opportunity to deliver mail to everyone in the office, put Bodenheimer in a key spot within the organization to learn, learn, and learn.
During the 40-minute ride to Bradley airport, I would take advantage of the opportunity to talk to people about their lines of work, what they did, and how they liked it, he says. It was every educational.
ESPN SVP/CTO Chuck Pagano was working in the ESPN engineering department in those early days and recalls Bodenheimer's visits.
He always had that inquisitive look in his eyes as he surveyed what I was doing in that electronics cavern, says Pagano. I tried to give him a quick and non-techie description of what I was doing, and he digested everything I gave him. He had the curiosity of an engineer in him from his very first days at ESPN.
That inquisitive nature was the first step in a career that today has culminated in a role as executive chairman for ESPN. In between, he worked his way up the ladder through sales and then, 14 years ago, was named president. During his time as president, Bodenheimer oversaw massive growth in the company that lay to rest any thoughts about the validity of sports-content creation and distribution. By January of this year, when he was appointed executive chairman, ESPN had grown to eight domestic TV networks, 48 international networks, 12 HD services, 18 Websites, and much, much more. And through it all, storytelling and technology were front and center.
George is a once in a generation leader. He is ESPN. And for all of his incredible accomplishments, he is truly the same great person that he was when he started [at ESPN] over 30 years ago. former ESPN executive Jed Drake
George is a once in a generation leader, says Jed Drake, ESPN, SVP and executive producer. He IS ESPN. And for all of his incredible accomplishments, he is truly the same great person that he was when he started here over 30 years ago.
Prior to becoming president, Bodenheimer was responsible for affiliate sales, advertising sales, marketing, and research for all of ESPN's domestic networks, a career path that began with his applying for a job as an affiliate sales representative in Texas. When he took the job, there was still much uncertainty about whether a 24-hour sports network was viable, but he quickly learned that there was a business model.
In the hundreds of small towns, we would have the same conversation with the cable operator: a 24-hour sports network is crazy, but this is a sports town, so we will give it a try. And that never varied, whether it was high school, college, or professional sports.
Cable operators' passion for sports programming lent additional credence to the ESPN mission of serving the sports fan anytime and anywhere. And technology played an important part.
When he took over as the leader in our sales department, I remember him telling me that he had to know more about technology because that was where our distribution partners were headed, Pagano recalls. He saw the future of his business needing a strong technical component years before it was apparent to others.
Among the technology successes under Bodenheimer's watch was the launch of a massive digital center (a second one is under construction) in Bristol, CT; the debut of the nation's first 1080p-capable broadcast center, in Los Angeles; and the launch of the nation's first HD sports network in 2001.
Whether it is HD, 3D, or putting content on mobile phones, we know the mission of the company is to be there first for the fans, adds Bodenheimer. It's an innovative spirit that drives the company, and I give all the credit to the employees.
The video in this profile was originally produced in 2012. For more on the life and career of this industry legend, visit their profile at the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame.
North America Stories
28/01/2026
Airlines, cruise and tour operators double down on ad spend as Australians' prioritise travel
Sydney January 28, 2026 - New Nielsen Ad Intel data shows a...
28/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/01/2026
Marshall Electronics launches the CV420-27X, its next-generation ultra-high-definition (UHD) IP camera, at ISE 2026 (Stand 4N900). Engineered for modern IP-base...
28/01/2026
Grass Valley has announced that Television Mobiles Ltd. (TVM), one of Europe's leading independent outside broadcast providers, has carried out a major refu...
28/01/2026
AI, graphics and virtual software power new production capabilities
FOR-A is bringing remarkable new technologies to FOMEX, the Future of Media Exhibition (ex...
28/01/2026
Continuing a longstanding collaboration, Riedel Communications and Nordic media technology company Media Tailor have once again joined forces to deliver a state...
28/01/2026
Pebble has appointed Paul Nagle-Smith as vice president for customer fulfilment, strengthening its senior leadership focus on customer delivery and operational ...
28/01/2026
Cloud playout solutions provider, Veset has announced that leading Mexican broadcaster, TV Azteca is using Veset Nimbus on AWS as a disaster recovery (DR) playo...
28/01/2026
Ensuring it can keep pace with a rapidly evolving live sports market, Balkan broadcast facility provider MVP Most Valuable Production has upgraded its flags...
28/01/2026
Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM), the cloud solutions provider that powers and protects life online, and Yospace, the leader in dynamic ad insertion tec...
28/01/2026
The renowned Reykjavik City Theatre (RCT) recently underwent a major intercom system upgrade using Clear-Com solutions. This milestone project utilizes Clear-C...
28/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/01/2026
Boston Conservatory Orchestra Premieres a New Piano Concerto by Peter and Leonar...
28/01/2026
Back to All News
The Wait Is Over: Teaser Trailer Drops for Jo Nesbo's Dete...
28/01/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Announces a Fictional Miniseries Inspired by the Marta del Castillo Case
Entertainment
28 January 2026
GlobalSpain
Link copied to ...
28/01/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Announces Santiago Mitres New Film Starring Ver nica L...
28/01/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Unveils the Teaser Trailer for Berlin and the Lady wit...
27/01/2026
L-R: Jonathan Cuchacovich, Sonia Kennebeck, Alan Fischer, Daeil Kim, Andrew Sta...
27/01/2026
Nielsen will continue to drive growth and provide local audience measurement
in...
27/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
27/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
27/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
27/01/2026
Amagi Media Labs Limited, the only cloud-native SaaS provider offering end-to-end solutions across live production, content preparation, distribution, and monet...
27/01/2026
Miri Technologies Inc. today unveiled its V410 live 4K video encoder/decoder for streaming, IP-based production workflows and AV-over-IP distribution. Designed ...
27/01/2026
The Paul E. Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell in Massachusetts has chosen Ikegami cameras for incorporation into its broadcast-quality television production facili...
27/01/2026
SipRadius, specialists in secure, low latency media transport, will show the pro AV community its end-to-end solution for high quality content distribution and ...
27/01/2026
Hiltron will highlight the fruits of its 45-plus years of experience in satellite communications system integration and product development at the annual GovSat...
27/01/2026
Klvr will demonstrate how its Charger Pro solution is delivering cost reduction and performance benefits for live entertainment and pro AV markets at ISE 2026 (...
27/01/2026
Amino, a global media technology leader in enterprise video and digital signage, today announced that its Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2026 booth (4N700) wil...
27/01/2026
ANI, India's leading news agency and a major content provider across the Asia Pacific region, today announced a significant expansion of its long standing p...
27/01/2026
Independent analysis confirms faster encoding, lower CPU usage, and improved perceptual quality compared to CBR and CRF
VisualOn, a leader in multimedia playba...
27/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
27/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
27/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
27/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
27/01/2026
Back to All News
That Night Premiering on Netflix March 13
Entertainment
27 January 2026
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard
DOWNLOAD THE KEY ART
DOWNLO...
27/01/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Kicks Off 15-Year Anniversary Celebrations in Brazil W...
27/01/2026
Back to All News
When It Feels Real, Is It Still a Lie? The Art of Sarah' ...
27/01/2026
Back to All News
That Night premiering on Netflix March 13
Entertainment
27 January 2026
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard
DOWNLOAD THE KEY ART
DOWNLO...
27/01/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Revealed the Future of Mexican Stories Coming in 2026
Entertainment
27 January 2026
GlobalMexico
Link copied to clipboard
Among t...
27/01/2026
Back to All News
Four New Japan Titles Announced for 2026: Viral Hit', On...
27/01/2026
Back to All News
What's Next on Netflix from Japan: Expanding the Possibili...
27/01/2026
AI, graphics and virtual software power new production capabilities...
26/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
26/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
26/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Pinterest
Bluesky
Email...
Legends Behind the Lens: George Bodenheimer He rose from the mailroom to become one of the most influential leaders in sports television history By Brandon Costa, Director of Digital 
