No longer The Center.
The current building the Philadelphia 76ers (and Flyers) play in has undergone plenty of name changes over the years since it opened in 1996: CoreStates Center, First Union Center, Wachovia Center, and most recently, the Wells Fargo Center. Wells Fargo announced last summer that they would not be renewing the naming rights deal, which expires in August. It has not been a harmonious relationship with Sixers management dating all the way back to 2015, when the beef caused the team to refer to the arena simply as “The Center”.
So now, with the deal expiring in August, and the Sixers set to open a new arena entirely in 2031, building owner Comcast Spectacor (who recently re-purchased a minority stake in the Sixers as part of getting the arena deal across the finish line) will take the naming reins. Here’s the release from 76ers Public Relations:
“Comcast Spectacor and Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE) today announced the world-class sports and entertainment venue in South Philadelphia – the current home of the National Hockey League’s Philadelphia Flyers, National Basketball Association’s Philadelphia 76ers, college basketball, premier global concerts, and entertainment events – will be renamed Xfinity Mobile Arena, effective September 1, 2025, through the 2030-2031 season.
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As part of this partnership with Comcast Spectacor and HBSE, Xfinity Mobile will bring cutting-edge WiFi capabilities to the arena so fans stay connected from the tailgate to the concourse. Xfinity Mobile customers will automatically join a supercharged WiFi experience in the arena that will deliver lightning-fast speeds with Comcast’s WiFi PowerBoost feature, all at no extra cost. Fans will be able share photos, videos, and stream with friends and family as they experience their favorite moments and action in the arena.
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The Xfinity Mobile partnership is set to begin on September 1, 2025, with installation of new signage to be revealed on September 2, 2025. The partnership will run through the 2030-2031 season and include exterior branding, interior digital signage, inclusion in advertising, branded WiFi, hospitality and Official Partnerships with the Philadelphia Flyers and Philadelphia 76ers.
As previously announced, Comcast will own the naming rights to the arena being developed via a joint venture between HBSE and Comcast Spectacor, set to open in the 2031-2032 season.”
The supercharged WiFi experience is cool for current Xfinity customers. I hate when you’re at large events and everything is incredibly slow due to the amount of people using bandwidth. Anyway, Xfinity Mobile Arena is a mouthful. I guess we’ll wait to see what shorthand name emerges organically for what to call it. Hopefully, Cooper Flagg will one day get to say he played at the storied Xfinity Mobile Arena as a member of the Sixers.