Goodman promoted by Comcast-Spectacor

Philadelphia – Global Spectrum, operators of the Wells Fargo Center, today named Rebecca Goodman as the facility's new Director of Public Relations. 

She was most recently publicist for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League. Both Global Spectrum and the Flyers are subsidiaries of Comcast-Spectacor. 

In her new role, Goodman will oversee all of the day-to-day public relations efforts at Global Spectrum’s flagship arena, the Wells Fargo Center, and the neighboring XFINITY Live! Philadelphia, the dining and entertainment district on the former site of the Spectrum. In addition to assisting in all event-related public relations efforts at Global Spectrum's more than 115 arenas, stadiums, and convention centers, she will train and develop new marketers and publicists for the company.

Goodman, who joined Comcast-Spectacor in 2006 as an intern with the Philadelphia 76ers, quickly showcased her talents and was named Public Relations Coordinator for the Sixers just after graduating from Drexel University in 2007. She also earned a Master's Degree from Drexel in 2009.

She was named Publicist for the Flyers in 2010. As team Publicist, Goodman was primarily responsible for overall communications through local and national media relating to “off-ice” events and initiatives for the Flyers. She worked primarily with the Flyers Marketing, Public Relations and Community departments to pitch pieces that generated publicity for the Flyers organization, including organizing events to engage the community in the sport of hockey.

Flyers announce Redfield internship

The cashing in on tragedy has reached the offices of Comcast Spectacor, which announced on Tuesday the creation of an internship honoring Jessica Redfield, who was killed in the Aurora movie theater incident on July 20.

Redfield, also known as Jessica Ghawi, 24, had been a Denver-area hockey blogger and aspiring journalist.

Bang the link to peruse the specs for the new position.

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.

NHL, NBC announce new 10-year partnership

Courtesy of NBCUniversal

NEW YORK (April 19, 2011) – The National Hockey League and the NBC Sports Group have reached agreement on a landmark 10-year television and media rights deal, taking the partnership through the 2020-21 season.

The expanded partnership, under which NBC remains the exclusive network home and VERSUS the exclusive cable home of the NHL® in the U.S., is highlighted by the first-ever national distribution of all Stanley Cup® Playoffs contests, including, for the first time, exclusive coverage starting with the Conference Semifinals. The agreement also calls for the NBC Sports Group to televise 100 regular season games per year and introduces a national NBC broadcast on Thanksgiving Friday.

The announcement was made today by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Dick Ebersol, Chairman, NBC Sports Group.

According to the agreement, the NBC Sports Group obtains digital rights across all platforms and devices for the games it televises.

In the regular season, NBC will continue to broadcast a national “Game of the Week,” along with its coverage of the NHL Winter Classic® and “Hockey Day in America.” VERSUS also will telecast an exclusive national “Game of the Week,” as well as NHL Premiere™ Games, NHL Faceoff™, the NHL All-Star Game and any future NHL Heritage Classic™ outdoor games in Canada. NBC and VERSUS remain the exclusive home of the Stanley Cup Final. The NBC Sports Group’s commitment includes building a new studio for NHL Network™ at its existing facility Stamford, Conn.

“This is the most significant U.S. media rights partnership in the League’s history,” said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. “NBC Universal / Comcast is one of the most important, connected and ‘wired’ media companies in the U.S., and as the potential of the NBC Sports Group is realized, the importance of our relationship will become more apparent to hockey fans and our business partners.

“NBC Sports and Comcast have been fantastic partners. They have provided incredible coverage of our sport and have teamed with us to deliver the best TV viewership figures in three decades. It is a credit to our players, our great game and our outstanding fans that Brian Roberts, Steve Burke, Dick Ebersol and their teams would make a commitment of this scale. We also know the best is yet to come.”

“We have significantly increased the value of the NBC Sports Group with this unprecedented, 10-year agreement with the National Hockey League,” said Dick Ebersol, Chairman, NBC Sports Group. “What’s particularly exciting for us is not only the significant increase in regular season games, but the reality of a dream that every single playoff game will air on an NBC Sports Group platform. For the first time, the Conference Semifinal round will be exclusive on VERSUS with a 200 percent increase in games. In the regular season, we’re increasing VERSUS’ coverage from roughly 50 to 90 games.

“I cannot understate the importance of Gary Bettman’s leadership. He understands the scope and the promotional ability of not only our new NBC Sports Group, but of the new NBCUniversal under Comcast’s ownership. The NHL has been and will continue to be one of our cornerstone properties.”

The NHL’s partnerships with both NBC Sports and VERSUS launched for the 2005-06 season and the six-year relationship has produced many ratings milestones. Among them:

•Overall NHL television ratings in the United States have increased by 84 percent over the last four years

•The 2011 NHL Winter Classic on NBC was the most-watched regular season game in the U.S. in 36 years

•VERSUS’ 2011 regular season viewership was the network’s best ever, up 17 percent over last season

•The 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs saw the largest audience in the history of the sport, with Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final on NBC the most-watched NHL game in the U.S. in 36 years•The 2010 Playoffs on VERSUS were the most watched on U.S. cable in eight years, while the first two rounds were the most watched on cable on record.

•Just last week, VERSUS achieved its best opening night viewership in its six years of Stanley Cup Playoffs coverage.

The agreement between the NHL and the NBC Sports Group includes targeted promotion across the combined Comcast/NBCUniversal company which, since the merger, consists of 20 television networks and more than 40 digital platforms. VERSUS, which was in 64 million homes in 2005, is now in more than 79 million homes and is on course for further expansion of its distribution. The combined promotional muscle has already led to increased ratings for events such as the NHL Winter Classic, NHL Heritage Classic and Hockey Day in America.

WIP's Hughes joins CSNPhilly.com

Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia has hired WIP's Rhea Hughes as the permanent host of CSNPhilly.com’s “Lunch Break”. Her first show will air on Monday, April 18 at 12:30 p.m. Guests will change daily and feature personalities from throughout the sports world.

“We are thrilled to have Rhea join our very talented group of Insiders and writers as we continue to grow CSNPhilly.com as the number one Philly sports online destination,” said Comcast SportsNet Senior Director of Digital Media Todd Berman.

“Fans can get all the sports news and talk they need packed into a five minute show, now that’s great time management,” said Hughes.

As host of “Lunch Break,” Hughes will deliver a healthy menu of sports topics each day with a splash of social media thrown in for good measure including: Blog Log (Monday), Twitter Tuesdays, Facebook Fan Rants (Wednesday), Viral Videos (Thursday) and Pie Worthy (Friday).

Hughes has been a member of the Angelo Cataldi Show on Sportsradio 610 WIP since 1997. Prior to that, she was a producer and engineer for Sixers broadcasts on WIP. She has appeared on many local sports programs and was a sideline reporter for the Philadelphia Soul. Hughes is also a frequent guest on Comcast SportsNet’s lively debate show “Full Contact.”

Homan named GM of Wells Fargo Center

Global Spectrum, operators of the Wells Fargo Center for arena owners Comcast-Spectacor, today named Matthew Homan as the facility’s new General Manager. 

Homan, who is relocating to Philadelphia from Des Moines, IA, replaces Tim Murphy, a 30-year veteran of the facility management industry, who has been promoted to Regional Vice President with Global Spectrum, overseeing several of the company’s other management contracts in the Northeast Region of the US and Canada.

“Matt is one of this industry’s brightest and most promising future leaders,” said Global Spectrum Chief Operating Officer John Page. “We are particularly proud of the relationship he has developed with his clients and the way he has become an active part of the community. We are excited for what he will be able to do at the Wells Fargo Center.

“Tim has done an incredible job of luring big-time events and national attractions for us to the Wells Fargo Center,” added Page. “We are excited that he will be able to help us grow our business nationally by using his expertise to help us oversee several of our other facilities nationally.”

“Matt has literally grown up in the business,” said Comcast-Spectacor President Peter Luukko. “From a very early age, Matt learned what it took to create and foster a business relationship. He has mastered that art and continues to find new and exciting opportunities to grow his business. I have personally known Matt for 25 years and I have enjoyed watching him blossom into a fine young man and a terrific and well-respected business leader in our industry. I am confident he will do a terrific job for us here at the Wells Fargo Center.”

Homan, a 14-year Global Spectrum employee and a second-generation industry executive, returns to his roots, Philadelphia, PA, where he first began his career at the Spectrum as a part-time box office ticket seller. Homan’s father, David, is the Chief Operating Officer of New Era Tickets, the full-service ticketing subsidiary of Comcast-Spectacor.

While in Des Moines, Matt Homan oversaw the four-facility Iowa Events Center, including the Wells Fargo Arena, a 17,000-seat multi-purpose arena, the Polk County Convention Complex, Hy-Vee Hall and the Veterans Memorial Auditorium. Prior to his highly successful stint in Des Moines, Homan was Assistant General Manager and Director of Event Services at the Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, SC, home of his alma mater, the University of South Carolina.

After graduating from South Carolina with a B.S. degree in Sports Administration, he joined the Wells Fargo Center group sales department in a full-time capacity. He later became the assistant manager of that group sales department where he managed a staff of 12, generating over $6 million in sales. He was promoted to Event Coordinator at the Global Spectrum-managed Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton, NJ, before relocating to Columbia. At the Sovereign Bank Arena, now the Sun National Center, Homan was recognized by Billboard Magazine as one of 30 Under 30 to watch in the entertainment industry.

Prior to joining Global Spectrum in 2002, Murphy was General Manager of both the Philadelphia Kixx (Major Indoor Soccer League) and the Philadelphia Charge (Womens United Soccer Association), a team then operated by Global Spectrum’s parent company, Comcast-Spectacor.

Murphy is a former Regional Vice President for Spectacor Management Group, overseeing the operations of multiple venues throughout the United States, including the Pittsburgh Civic Arena, Three Rivers Stadium, Chicago’s Soldier Field, the Richmond Coliseum and several European venues. Prior to joining Spectacor Management Group, Murphy was Marketing and Production Manager at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, PA.

Comcast-Spectacor names Lou Scheinfeld VP of Development

Comcast-Spectacor has named Lou Scheinfeld, who was instrumental in the formation of the Spectrum and the Philadelphia Flyers in l966, as Vice President of Development for the company. He had most recently served the company as Director of Closure for the Spectrum.

Scheinfeld, a former Vice President of the Flyers and President of the Philadelphia 76ers, was instrumental in the marketing of the Spectrum during its opening years. He returned to his roots in August of 2008 to oversee all aspects of the 42-year-old facility’s closure, including marketing, promotions, special events and sponsorship opportunities.

In his new role, Scheinfeld will work closely with the Cordish Company in its development of Philly Live. In addition, he will continue to oversee the sale of all remaining memorabilia and assets from the Spectrum as it is demolished to make way for Philly Live.

“Lou did a fantastic job in helping Ed Snider and Comcast-Spectacor create a year-long celebration of the cherished Spectrum,” said Comcast-Spectacor President Peter Luukko. “I know Lou will continue to be a valuable asset.”

Additionally, Scheinfeld will assist the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation in its efforts to refurbish, in partnership with the City of Philadelphia, five City-owned rinks, including the enclosure of three of these rinks for year-round operations. He will also spearhead a capital campaign for Snider Hockey.

A native of Philadelphia, PA, Scheinfeld was vice president of the Flyers from l966 through 1972 and President of the Spectrum from l972 through l976. He guided both the team and the arena to their respective places among the nation’s elite. He is credited with establishing the fabled Kate Smith “God Bless America” relationship with the Flyers. His groundbreaking innovations include building the model for today’s sports marketing approaches and development of the earliest luxury suites.

He helped guide the creation of PRISM, a regional cable TV concept that led the way to a score of similar outlets, in 1976. He became senior vice president of Spectacor in 1978, and oversaw the operations of the Spectrum, the Flyers, PRISM and other company holdings. He left Spectacor in l980 to become President of the Philadelphia 76ers.

Since l982, Scheinfeld has operated his own sports and entertainment marketing and management business, known as LCS Associates, Inc. He will continue to serve as Director of Development for Manhattan Capital, LLC, a New York City investment firm specializing in developing sports facilities and accompanying entertainment districts. In addition to being responsible for all aspects of closure of the Wachovia Spectrum, Scheinfeld is overseeing construction of a Triple A baseball stadium in Reno, NV.

FCC goes after Comcast

Bloomberg is reporting that the FCC wants to force Comcast to sell Comcast SportsNet Philly to DirecTV and The Dish Network immediately.

Comcast on the verge of buying controlling interest in NBC

The Huffington Post is reporting that General Electric has reached an agreement to buy out Vivendi's stake in NBC Universal.

That would reportedly set the stage for Comcast to buy a 51% stake in the entertainment giant.

Comcast-Spectacor will run new soccer stadium

When Philadelphia Union opens for business in the Spring of 2010, the expansion Major League Soccer (MLS) club will kick off with an experienced and proven partner.

Keystone Sports and Entertainment LLC, the ownership group of Philadelphia Union, today announced the formation of a comprehensive partnership with Comcast-Spectacor, the Philadelphia-based sports and entertainment company.

“Comcast-Spectacor is well known for creating the type of memorable guest experiences that we are determined to provide for our dedicated supporters,” said Keystone Sports and Entertainment and Philadelphia Union CEO and Operating Partner Nick Sakiewicz. “There are many synergies between our two organizations, but this long-term relationship is founded upon a mutual commitment to producing world-class events. We can’t imagine a better partner to help us service our fans and carry out our vision along the Delaware River waterfront.”

In conjunction with Philadelphia Union, Comcast-Spectacor will utilize the expertise of three separate entities to manage the new 18,500-seat stadium, provide food and beverage concessions and catering, and support Union ticket sales.