Thursday, 21 November 2024

Roone Arledge

Contest: The US Athletic Hall of Fame - Contributors 2024
Embed from Getty Images
Sport(s): Television Network Executive
Statistics: Member of the Television Academy Hall of Fame
Received the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award from the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Roone Arledge would begin work for ABC before 1960, and he was quickly called on to produce NCAA and AFL football. Arledge experimented with different angles and presentations, to where he wanted sports also to tell a story. He would later put his unique stamp on an existing product, Wide World of Sports, using international events that had already been taped, which gave the network unique and affordable programming.

Arledge’s biggest contribution to television sports was Monday Night Football, proving that sports could be a regular attraction in prime time viewing. He also produced ten of the Olympics that ABC had when he was working for the company.

Arledge was also the President of ABC News (1977-98), and he did not just oversee the national news report but developed shows like Nightline and 20/20.

We are proud to nominate Roone Arledge for the United States Athletic Hall of Fame.