Those Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN

“A rollicking oral history of ESPN” (Boston Globe)—an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the network that changed how we watch sports.

“A serious, impressive piece of work.” —Entertainment Weekly

It began, in 1979, as a modest idea of starting a cable channel to televise local sporting events throughout the state of Connecticut. Today, ESPN is arguably the most successful network in modern television history, spanning eight channels in the Unites States and around the world. But the inside story of its rise has never been fully told-until now.

Drawing upon over 500 interviews with the greatest names in ESPN's history and an All-Star collection of some of the world's finest athletes, bestselling authors James Miller and Tom Shales take us behind the cameras. Now, in their own words, the men and women who made ESPN great reveal the secrets behind its success-as well as the many scandals, rivalries, off-screen battles and triumphs that have accompanied that ascent. From the unknown producers and business visionaries to the most famous faces on television, it's all here.

“A treat for sports fans.” —New York Times

“Those Guys Have All the Fun delivers a hell of a narrative . . . [and] an outstanding work of journalism.” —Fortune

“A revelation: what foes onto the TV screen turns out to be just the glossy tip of an iceberg of ugly backstage drama. Miller and Shales must be extraordinarily talented interviewers, because their subjects are surprisingly uninhibited and frank and willing to dish.” —TIME

© 2025 Little, Brown and Company (Ebook): 9780316125765

Release date

Ebook: 1 May 2025