ESPN is a well-known sports broadcasting company all throughout the world and has been around for many years. Starting out only covering the four main sports those being baseball, basketball, football, and hockey for many years until they spread to other sports all throughout the world. It started as a very small business with only a few news anchors following sports that were restricted within in the United States and today it has spread to thousands of workers, covering sports all over the world. However, the one thing that has stayed consistent throughout all the years of the company and no matter where they are located throughout the world is the logo that ESPN has made so prominent. ESPN which stands for “Entertainment and Sports Programming Network”, created a logo that is both well known for sports fans everywhere. The ESPN logo which has been around since 1979 is seen as one of the most iconic and symbolic logos that is in existence due to its consistency of the design, its simplistic look, and the ability to represent much more than just the company. 

ESPN was started in the late 1970’s which at the time was a small company televising the main sports throughout the U.S such as basketball in the NBA, football from the NFL, baseball within the MLB and hockey seen in the NHL. During this period the company had created their famous logo, they decided to go with four letters that would abbreviate their professional name of “Entertainment and Sports Programming Network” as this would be too long of name to include in a logo. These four letters ESPN would be put in the center of a combination of orange and red rectangle, which appealed to viewer’s eyes as they changed channels on their analog television sets at the time. Throughout the years the company has adjusted the logo to keep up with growing trends, but the overall image of the logo has stayed the same, due to the company believing in what they see. When this logo was first created the majority of people that enjoyed watching the sports were grown males as well as the possibility of a child every now and then. At this time in history the four major sports were at an all-time high and everyday people wanted a way to watch their teams without having to pay to go see them play live. The company was successful in providing that to them as well as creating a logo that appealed to those people every time they turned on the television set. As time went on and women began to watch sports with the rest of their families as well as the creation of women’s sports leagues, the company had to take on a new look. One that seemed like it was in with the time, as well as representing the same message that it had brought before. The company created a sub company that was developed solely for the women’s sports in 2009, which was called ESPN W. The logo that was created for this stayed in line with the normal by having the original ESPN logo. In addition to the four letter logo there was a cursive W at the end of it which represented the women throughout sports. This was a large step for the company as it was able to adapt to the inclusive environment with women. By keeping the normal logo and adding just one letter to the end represents the equality between both of the networks. Instead of attempting to create an entirely new design for the women’s network of ESPN, they used the same color scheme as well as the lettering except for the W which is different in the same way that men’s and women’s sports leagues were now different. ESPN was able to expand their fan base as well as conform to societies expectations, all while keeping the same overall design of the logo throughout the entirety of the company’s existence. 

The ESPN logo has a very simplistic design however it is able to appeal to so many Americans and people around the world. The current logo has been the same since they made the initial switch in the 1990’s it is a dark red rectangle with ESPN written in white centered in the rectangle, the red is put there to attract the eyes of people. The color red is known to bring on attention, the company wanted just that, something that would bring business to them just like any other company would. Along, with catching viewers’ attention the company chose the color red for another reason, red is known for representing love and passion. Red is seen in a lot of icons that present the message of love and passion such as the classic hear. Since, so many people share a passion for sports, the logo depicts their love for the game. This is a way for ESPN to feel somewhat close to their viewers. Every sports fan that watches their favorite teams on this network can feel represented in the company’s logo. With such a simple logo it is something that carries a large message for all those who see it, the letters are written in white block letters so that they will stand out to those looking. The contrast between the two colors works well in creating a logo that will both stand out to an audience as well as possessing a comradery between all sports fans through their love of sports. 

The four letters that the company was abbreviated to stand for the company name which is the “Entertainment and Sports Programming Network”. However, it is also ironic that they chose to use four letters to be the representation of their company. When the company first began they only covered four sports baseball, basketball, football, and hockey. Each letter of the logo represents a sport that the company began with covering. This is a subtle show of appreciation by the company by understanding they would be no where without these four sports. Today the company covers so many different sports and a variety of leagues so to include a symbol of appreciation for those who helped support the company and make it successful is a way to honor those four sports. ESPN without even possibly knowing it created a logo that gives the four major sports a touching gesture of where the company began, especially now since the company is so large. 

Since 1979 The Entertainment and Sports Programming Network has created such a well-known and successful company that people outside of the sports world can successfully see the logo and understand who it is for. This has to do with the fact that their logo is able to connect with so many people throughout the sports world. The classic ESPN logo with red box surrounding the four letters in addition to the ESPNW represent so much for athletes and fans alike. ESPN realized that many people throughout the world have a loving and passionate relationship with sports and sports provide so much for people, so they created a logo that has the capability to connect with people. The color red is the predominant color within the logo and red represents love and sports fan definitely love their teams. This logo also gives the company a way to thank the original four sports as they are the ones who helped jump start the company. Although, the logo is so simple in its design is has the ability to obtain a much deeper meaning by just looking at it. 