Wells Fargo Center prepares for 15th anniversary

As the Wells Fargo Center prepares to celebrate its 15th anniversary on Wednesday, August 31, Comcast-Spectacor issued some very unusual numbers and statistics which have occurred over the past 15 years at the Big House.

During the first 15 years at Wells Fargo Center:

·         6,645,300: Soft Pretzels Consumed

·         2,591,728: Hot Dogs Devoured

·         639,634: Philadelphia cheesesteaks eaten

·         679,537: Bags of popcorn purchased

·         461,0511: Gallons of Pepsi consumed

·         240,000: Gallons of water to create the ice surface once-a-year prior to start of hockey season

·         60,000: Light bulbs replaced throughout the entire arena

·         48,500: Miles of concourse swept my housekeeping to keep the building beautiful

·         21,424: Largest single-event attendance (Backstreet Boys, September 29,1999)

·         21,305: Largest One-Day Attendance for a Sixers Game (vs. Chicago Bulls, April 17, 1998)

·         20,327: Largest One-Day Attendance for a Flyers Game (vs. Chicago Blackhawks, June 9, 2010)

·         4,000: Hours of operation on the ice by the Wells Fargo Center Zamboni driver

·         18: The most sellouts by one artist or act: Billy Joel

·         325-273: Sixers Record in Regular Season Home Games

·         23-17: Sixers Record in Playoff Home Games

·         10,165,780: Sixers Attendance

·         11,182,589 (99.7 percent of capacity): Flyers Attendance in Regular Season Games

·         307-173-50-44 (708 Points): Flyers Record in Regular Season Home Games

·         1,547,524 (101.6 percent of capacity): Flyers Attendance in Playoff Games

·         46-32: Flyers Record in Playoff Home Games

·         1,755: Goals Scored by Flyers Players

“It’s hard to believe it’s already been 15 years,” reflected Comcast-Spectacor Chairman Ed Snider. “It seems like just yesterday we were getting ready for the ribbon cutting. It’s been very rewarding and gratifying for us to present so many wonderful memories to millions of fans throughout the Greater Philadelphia Region.”

“The Wells Fargo Center, in a very short amount of time, has become one of the most popular venues in the world for top-notch entertainment and special events,” added Comcast-Spectacor President Peter Luukko. “We have hosted every major event imaginable. The Wells Fargo Center has certainly put Philadelphia in the national spotlight and has become a must-play venue in sports and entertainment.”

After opening its doors for the first time with the World Cup of Hockey on August 31, 1996, the Wells Fargo Center (previously known as the Coorstates, First Union and Wachovia Center, has hosted a variety of nationally-followed events, including the 1998 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, 1999 AHL All-Star Weekend, 2000 NCAA Women’s Final Four, 2000 Republican National Convention, 2001 NCAA Men’s East Regional, 2001 NBA Finals, 2001 and 2002 ESPN X-Games, 2002 NBA All-Star Weekend, the 2006 NCAA Men’s First and Second Rounds, the 2008 U.S. Gymnastics Champinships; the 2009 NCAA Men’s First and Second Round Tournament Games, the 2010 Stanley Cup Final, and the 2011 NCAA Wrestling Championships.

The arena is also scheduled host the 2013 NCAA Men’s Second and Third Round Tournament Games, as well as the 2014 NCAA Frozen Four.

The Wells Fargo Center is, of course,  the home of the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association, the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League, the Philadelphia Wings of the National Lacrosse League and the Philadelphia Soul of the Arena Football League.