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61-601: The Wells Fargo Center, originally called Spectrum II , was completed in 1996 to replace the Spectrum as the home arena of the 76ers and Flyers, on the former site of John F. Kennedy Stadium at a cost of $ 210 million, largely privately financed (though the city and state helped to pay for the local infrastructure ). It is owned by Comcast Spectacor , which also owns the Flyers, and is operated by its arena-management subsidiary, Global Spectrum. Since opening, it has been known by

122-483: A $ 265 million "Transformation 2020" initiative. It debuted a new kinetic 4K-resolution scoreboard in September 2019 also by ANC Sports , which features two main arrays of outside displays that can expand outwards to a width of 62 feet (19 m), and two 65 foot (20 m) "crown" panels that can be raised and lowered as part of sequences. The arena also unveiled a new premium area for selected ticketholders known as

183-518: A concert titled "Last Call". Tickets were as low as $ 6.00. The remaining members of the Grateful Dead ; including Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann performed their final set of shows at the Spectrum on May 1 and 2, 2009; the show of May 2 was their 54th consecutive sell-out at the Spectrum. The Dead closed the show of May 2 with the song " Samson and Delilah ". The song contains

244-414: A crowd of 20,907. On August 1, 2006, Comcast Spectacor announced it would install a new center-hung scoreboard to replace the original one made by Daktronics . The new scoreboard, manufactured by ANC Sports , is similar to other scoreboards in new NBA & NHL arenas. An additional linear LED display lining the entire arena was also installed between the suite and mezzanine levels. Other renovations for

305-477: A nice building!'" Scheinfeld also said that a seat in the city's first superbox initially cost $ 1,000 a year: "For every Flyers game, Sixers game, circus, you name it, you got 250 events for $ 1,000." The Flyers won their first ever home game in this arena by defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins , 1–0. Bill Sutherland scored the arena's first goal. On March 1, 1968, wind blew part of the covering off

366-485: A number of different names through naming rights deals and bank mergers, including CoreStates Center from 1996 to 1998, First Union Center from 1998 to 2003, and Wachovia Center from 2003 to 2010. Since 2010, naming rights have been held by financial services company Wells Fargo , after their acquisition of Wachovia. CoreStates Financial Corporation was acquired by First Union , which later also purchased Wachovia National Bank to rename itself Wachovia Corporation ;

427-734: A pre-season basketball game between the Philadelphia 76ers and Guangzhou Loong Lions . Spectrum (arena) The Spectrum (later known as CoreStates Spectrum , First Union Spectrum and Wachovia Spectrum ) was an indoor arena in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . The arena opened in September 1967 as part of what is now known as the South Philadelphia Sports Complex . After several expansions of its seating capacity , it accommodated 18,168 for basketball and 17,380 for ice hockey , arena football , indoor soccer , and box lacrosse . The final event at

488-564: A prism) was launched by Spectacor, carrying home games of the Flyers and 76ers (as well as the Phillies); PRISM's technical and studio operations were based out of the event level of the Spectrum (though PRISM's administrative offices were instead located in Bala Cynwyd ). PRISM's successor, NBC Sports Philadelphia , is based out of the present-day Wells Fargo Center in a similar arrangement. A plaque inside The Spectrum stated that it held

549-658: A score of 104–101 in the final NBA game in the Spectrum. The game was sold-out and attendance was 17,563. The Phantoms' last regular season game at the Spectrum was played April 10, 2009, against the Hershey Bears , as the Phantoms won the game, 5–2, while the last Kixx game was against the Massachusetts Twisters on March 22. The Kixx moved onto the Temple University campus and played

610-724: A sellout crowd of 17,380 on June 10, 1998, by defeating the Saint John Flames , 6–1. The only visitors to win the Stanley Cup and NBA championship at the Spectrum were the Montreal Canadiens (1976) and the Los Angeles Lakers (1980) respectively. The Spectrum is the only venue to host the NBA and NHL All-Star Games in the same season, doing so in 1976, when it also hosted that year's Final Four . It

671-521: A specially-written version of the song "Wrecking Ball" , which he had written in honor of the demolition of Giants Stadium , with revised lyrics to honor the Spectrum. A scheduled concert with Leonard Cohen on October 22 was moved to the Tower Theatre in Upper Darby , instead. On October 23, 2009, Philadelphia area musicians The Hooters , Todd Rundgren and Hall & Oates headlined

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732-421: Is also one of a handful of venues to host the Stanley Cup and NBA Finals at the same time, doing so in 1980 (all four major Philadelphia teams would reach the championship round of their respective sport in 1980). The Spectrum was used for many basketball tournaments, including Big Five games, eight Atlantic 10 Conference tournaments (1977, 1983, 1997–2002), the 1975, 1980 and 1992 NCAA East Regional (site of

793-551: Is designed to provide a "first-class experience at an accessible price point"; the arena's cheapest tickets will feature access to the level. In addition, hanging from the rafters of the Wells Fargo Center are three banners in the orange and black colors of the Flyers honoring Pearl Jam's 10, Billy Joel's 48 Philadelphia sellouts and Bruce Springsteen 's 56 Philadelphia sellouts respectively. In October 2019, center staff removed fans shouting "Free Hong Kong" at

854-454: The 2000 Republican National Convention and 2016 Democratic National Convention . The arena is a regular venue for concerts and WWE events. The arena has a concert seating capacity of 21,000 seated and at least 21,500 standing. Prior to its construction, the proposed arena was tentatively called "Spectrum II". The Wells Fargo Center was originally named for CoreStates Financial Corporation , which agreed to pay $ 40 million over 21 years for

915-620: The Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena .) The statue was removed several times over the years to be used in the filming of sequels to the original film. In September 2006, it was given a new home in an area near the base of the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art not far from where a spot on the plaza at the top of the Museum's steps where it had appeared in the film Rocky III . Since the statue

976-645: The U.S. took on Czechoslovakia and the USSR . Ten NHL or NBA playoff championship series were hosted at the Spectrum. The Flyers competed in the Stanley Cup Finals in 1974 , 1975 , 1976 , 1980 , 1985 , and 1987 . The 76ers played in the NBA Finals in 1977 , 1980 , 1982 , and 1983 . The 1976 and 1992 NHL , and 1970 and 1976 NBA All-Star Games were also held here. The AHL Phantoms also won their first Calder Cup title on Spectrum ice before

1037-673: The U.S. Navy Yard bounded by 10th Street, Packer Ave., 23rd Street, and Terminal Avenue. The Spectrum itself occupied the portion of the Exposition's grounds on the south side of Pattison Avenue between Broad and 11th Streets that in 1926 served as the fair's main trolley terminal operated by the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company . For its first 25 years, the Spectrum overlooked the 102,000-seat John F. Kennedy Stadium , known prior to 1964 as "Municipal Stadium", located roughly 600 feet (180 m) south of

1098-656: The Xfinity Live! project, the first portion of which opened in April 2012, at the southwest corner of 11th Street and Pattison Avenue. A statue of Sylvester Stallone , depicted in his role of Philadelphia boxer Rocky Balboa , stood for many years in front of the main Pattison Avenue entrance of the Spectrum, which had been represented in the movie as the site of Rocky's first and second fights with Apollo Creed . (The fight sequences were actually filmed at

1159-629: The pre-game ceremony were Lou Angotti , Ed Van Impe , Bob Clarke , Mel Bridgman , Bill Barber , Dave Poulin , Ron Sutter , Kevin Dineen , Éric Desjardins , Keith Primeau and Derian Hatcher . The last NCAA basketball game the Spectrum hosted saw the Villanova Wildcats defeat the Pittsburgh Panthers on January 28, 2009. The Sixers played one regular season game against Chicago Bulls on March 13, 2009, winning by

1220-598: The "Center City Club", and—as part of a partnership with Rivers Casino Philadelphia —two sportsbook lounges open to all visitors, which will feature a bar and seating areas, televisions and odds boards, and Rivers Casino ambassadors promoting use of the casino's sports betting app . The arena also announced the New City Terrace, a revamp of the standing room deck into a 23,000 square foot (2,100 m) "Assembly Room" (inspired by Independence Hall ), with bars and eateries, fireplaces, and communal areas. The area

1281-482: The "CoreStates Center" (1996–1998), the "First Union Center" (1998–2003), and the "Wachovia Center" (July 2003 – June 2010), the 20,000-plus-seat indoor arena replaced the Spectrum as the home of the Flyers, 76ers, and Philadelphia Wings of the National Lacrosse League beginning with each club's 1996–97 season. With the demolition of the Spectrum, the Wells Fargo Center has now become the oldest of

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1342-470: The 1960s. In the 1970s, Electric Factory Concerts became the prominent concert promoter for the facility. Philadelphia soul groups that performed at the Spectrum include LaBelle in '71 and Hall & Oates in '83. The O'Jays (they were signed to Philadelphia International ) performed there in '73, and Lou Rawls (also signed to Philly International) performed there in '69. Boyz II Men from Philly performed there in '95. Guns N' Roses performed at

1403-729: The 2009–10 season at the Liacouras Center . The Phantoms were sold to a Pittsburgh-based ownership group, and moved to Glens Falls, New York , for the 2009–10 season, and subsequently moved to Allentown , where they became the Flyers-affiliated Lehigh Valley Phantoms . "With this season being the final season of the Wachovia Spectrum, we will celebrate the history of the Spectrum with an exciting, year-long, celebration of events," Comcast Spectacor President Peter Luukko said. Phish

1464-546: The Eagles moved to Lincoln Financial Field , a purpose-built football/soccer stadium located SE of the Spectrum site directly across 11th Street from the Wells Fargo Center. The following year, the Phillies relocated to Citizens Bank Park , a dedicated baseball stadium completed in 2004 and located diagonally across from the Spectrum site at the northeast corner of Pattison Ave and Citizens Bank Way (11th St.), immediately east of

1525-857: The Flyers and 76ers moved across the parking lot to the new and larger Wells Fargo Center (then CoreStates Center), the arena remained in place and was used by the Philadelphia Phantoms of the AHL , the Philadelphia KiXX of the NISL , the Philadelphia Soul of the Arena Football League for Saturday home games, and a variety of other sporting events and concerts. The Spectrum had relatively few luxury suites or other amenities common in newer arenas. Additionally,

1586-532: The Flyers played a day game against the Los Angeles Kings during a blizzard. A piece of flying debris smashed out one of the concourse windows, cancelling the game just after the first period. In the 1970s, the venue's location near Broad Street and the reputation for fisticuffs that the Flyers had developed led to the nickname "Broad Street Bullies". In 1976, the local pay television service PRISM (so-named in part as you could see "the spectrum" via

1647-507: The PA announcer for 76ers games. Jim Bachman is the PA announcer for Villanova basketball games. Vinnie Caligiuri was the PA announcer for the Philadelphia Soul during their tenure. Kevin Casey handled PA duties for the original Philadelphia Wings during their tenure. Marc Farzetta is the PA announcer for the current Philadelphia Wings . Wells Fargo Center continued further renovations as part of

1708-964: The Philadelphia Spectrum on August 4, 1988; August 5, 1988; June 13, 1991; December 16, 1991; and December 17, 1991. The Spectrum Theater was a venue for acts not big enough to fill the entire Spectrum arena. The stage was placed in the middle of the Spectrum floor, and the other half of the arena behind the stage was closed off with curtains, creating a theater-like environment. Some of the acts that played in this configuration included Frank Zappa in 1973, 1976 and 1977; David Bowie's Diamond Dogs Tour in 1974; The Kinks ' Soap Opera Tour in May 1975, Bob Marley 's Natty Dread Tour in 1975 and Kaya Tour in 1978; Bruce Springsteen in 1976; The Bee Gees in 1979; Peter Gabriel 's tour in 1982; Howard Jones in 1985 and Julian Lennon with Chris Bliss on June 20, 1986. The 1995–96 NHL and NBA seasons were

1769-821: The Philadelphia area. The Flyers hurriedly moved their next home game against the Oakland Seals to Madison Square Garden in New York followed by a meeting with the Boston Bruins played at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto before establishing a base at Le Colisée in Quebec City , home of their top minor league team, the AHL Quebec Aces , for the remainder of their regular season, marking

1830-471: The South end of Broad Street since 1926. The complex's total area expanded with the addition of each new facility and now takes up the entire southeast quadrant of the grounds occupied in 1926 by Philadelphia's Sesqui-Centennial International Exposition , a massive 184-day World's fair built on 700+ acres of until then largely undeveloped city-owned swamp and park land, including League Island Park adjacent to

1891-522: The Spectrum was a Pearl Jam concert on October 31, 2009. The arena was demolished between November 2010 and May 2011. Opened as the Spectrum in September 1967, Philadelphia's first modern indoor sports arena was built to be the home of the expansion Philadelphia Flyers of the NHL , and also to accommodate the existing Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA . The building was the second major sports facility built at

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1952-423: The Spectrum would be shuttered and torn down to make way for Philly Live! , a proposed retail, dining and entertainment hub. "This has been one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make," said Snider. "The Spectrum is my baby. It's one of the greatest things that has ever happened to me." The Phantoms commemorated the final season of the Spectrum by wearing a special patch on their uniforms, as illustrated on

2013-565: The Spectrum's roof during a performance of the Ice Capades , forcing the building to close for a month while Mayor Tate fought with then-Philadelphia County District Attorney Arlen Specter over responsibility for the construction of the roof, and the damage was repaired. The 76ers moved their home games to Convention Hall and to the Palestra , but neither of those arenas had ice rinks at the time, and there were no other NHL-quality sites in

2074-464: The Wachovia Center's ten-year anniversary included upgrading the suites with more flat screen HDTV's, as well as changing ticket providers from Ticketmaster to New Era Tickets , which is owned by Comcast Spectacor. The public address (PA) announcer at the Wells Fargo Center for Flyers games is Lou Nolan , who moved with the team from the Spectrum, where he worked since 1972. Matt Cord is

2135-568: The arena was an October 17, 1967 boxing match featuring Joe Frazier vs. Tony Doyle. From 1967 through 1972, fifteen fight cards were held at the Spectrum. The NBA's 76ers also moved there from Convention Hall as a second major league sports tenant. Lou Scheinfeld, former President of the Spectrum, explained that the name "Spectrum" was selected to evoke the broad range of events to be held there: "The 'SP' for 'sports' and ' South Philadelphia ', 'E' for 'entertainment', 'C' for 'circuses', 'T' for 'theatricals', 'R' for 'recreation', and 'UM' as 'um, what

2196-471: The arena when it first opened in 1996. The Wells Fargo Center officially seats 20,318 for NBA and NCAA basketball and 19,541 for NHL hockey and indoor NLL lacrosse. With additional standing-room admissions available in luxury and club-box suites, the total paid capacity increases. The Wells Fargo Center has 126 luxury suites, 1,880 club-box seats, and a variety of restaurants and clubs (both public and private) available for use by patrons. In addition,

2257-423: The arena's sight lines were cited as a concern. Some seats in both the hockey and basketball configurations (especially those added in the upper level over the years) had badly obstructed views. There was only one concourse for all three levels, making for somewhat cramped conditions whenever attendance was anywhere near capacity. On July 14, 2008, Comcast Spectacor Chairman Ed Snider officially announced that

2318-420: The athletes who made the building famous such as Hockey Hall of Famers Bernie Parent and Bob Clarke of the Flyers and Hall of Famer Julius Erving of the 76ers, was held in the adjacent parking lot "H" on November 23, 2010, to formally begin its external demolition. However, unlike Veterans Stadium, its one-time neighbor, which had been located immediately across Pattison Avenue from the Spectrum before it

2379-541: The combined company was acquired by Wells Fargo in 2008. In addition to hosting home games for its main tenants, the arena has been the site of a number of other notable athletic events including games of the 1997 and 2010 Stanley Cup Finals , three games of the 2001 NBA Finals , and various collegiate events for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Wells Fargo Center has hosted two political conventions, hosting

2440-469: The complex's three current venues. The Spectrum's closest sports complex neighbor was Veterans Stadium (opened 1971, closed 2003, demolished 2004), which was located north of the arena directly across Pattison Avenue. The 60,000-plus-seat "Vet" accommodated MLB 's Philadelphia Phillies and the NFL 's Philadelphia Eagles for just over three decades before it was itself replaced by two new facilities. In 2003

2501-508: The famous last-second shot by Christian Laettner of Duke to beat Kentucky ), and the 1976 and 1981 Final Fours (both won by Bob Knight 's Indiana Hoosiers ). Smaller conferences preferred holding tournament games at this venue over the larger Center nearby. In 2003 and 2004, the PBR brought their Built Ford Tough Series tour to the Spectrum. Many concerts were staged at the Spectrum, often praised for its acoustic properties, beginning in

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2562-539: The final ones for the Flyers and the 76ers at the Spectrum. The 76ers' last game was a 112–92 loss to the Orlando Magic on April 19; on May 12, Eric Lindros scored the arena's final Flyers goal in the 2nd period, and Mike Hough of the Florida Panthers scored the arena's final official NHL goal in the 2nd overtime of Game 5 of the 1996 Eastern Conference semifinals , a 2–1 Flyers loss. Although both

2623-761: The first NHL games in Quebec City in over four decades, and years before the Quebec Nordiques joined the NHL. The roof was repaired in time to permit the Flyers to return to the Spectrum to open their first Stanley Cup playoffs against the St. Louis Blues on April 4, 1968; the opening faceoff came just as the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. was transpiring in Memphis, Tennessee . Similarly, in 1993,

2684-612: The fitting refrain "If I had my way, I would tear this old building down." The lyric was changed by the band's singer Bob Weir to say "I wouldn't tear this old building down." With the demolition of The Spectrum, all venues at which The Grateful Dead played through their career within the City of Philadelphia, except for the Irvine Auditorium, have succumbed to the wrecking ball. On October 27, 28, 30, and 31, American rock band Pearl Jam played over one hundred unique songs across

2745-456: The floor. (Reportedly, 76ers CEO Scott O'Neil's first idea was to color it with clear-coat paint only visible with UV blacklighting showing the logo during the opening of Sixers games when the arena lights were drawn down; however, the team, after discussion with their lawyers, elected not to do so.) With the start of the new year in January 2016 with input from Comcast Spectacor, the logo decal

2806-459: The former Veterans Stadium site which now serves as a parking lot for the entire complex. In 2017, the Phillies' spring training complex in Clearwater, Florida was renamed Spectrum Field after Bright House Networks was purchased by Charter Communications . While named for Charter's residential service, the name invoked memories of the Spectrum arena. Another NBA arena ( Spectrum Center ,

2867-510: The four days. On the final night, the band played 34 songs over nearly four hours before ending with their hit " Yellow Ledbetter ". Opened in 1967 as the first of the five modern facilities to be built at the South Philadelphia Sports Complex between 1967 and 2004, by the time it closed in 2009 the Spectrum was the oldest of the four venues still standing of the two indoor arenas and four outdoor stadiums built at

2928-558: The home of the Charlotte Hornets ) currently includes "Spectrum" in its name, although again it refers to the Charter residential service whose naming rights are attached to that building. Although the Spectrum formally closed on October 31, 2009, demolition of the structure did not begin for more than a year with internal work commencing on November 8, 2010. Two weeks later a public "wrecking ball ceremony" attended by some of

2989-636: The indoor arena. Opened on April 15, 1926, the stadium was also the Sesqui-Centennial Exposition's only intentionally permanent facility. The site of 42 Army–Navy Games between 1936 and 1979, JFK Stadium eventually fell into disuse in favor of the newer nearby Veterans Stadium, was condemned in 1989, and demolished in 1992 to make way for the Wells Fargo Center which opened four years later in August 1996. Known earlier as

3050-472: The installation of the new Wells Fargo Center signage. Work was completed in September 2010. During the 2015–16 NBA season for a short time, the 76ers ceased recognizing Wells Fargo's naming rights and referred to the facility exclusively as "The Center", as the institution was not a sponsor of the team. The Wells Fargo Center logo decal which sat on the 76ers court was in the most minimal text discernible by television cameras, colored in white to blend in with

3111-539: The most important and emotional hockey game—or sporting event of any kind—ever held there, however, came at the height of the Cold War on January 11, 1976, when the Flyers became the first NHL team to defeat (by 4–1) the vaunted hockey team of the Soviet Central Red Army (ЦСКА). [1] Two games in the inaugural Canada Cup hockey tournament were also held at the Spectrum in September of that year, as

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3172-434: The naming rights, with additional terms to be settled later for an additional eight-year period at the end of the contract. The contract went through multiple hands due to various bank mergers; first by First Union in 1998, Wachovia in 2003, and currently by Wells Fargo since July 2010. Installation of the new Wells Fargo Center branding began on July 27, 2010, with the removal of the Wachovia Center signage, followed by

3233-532: The offices, studios, and production facilities of NBC Sports Philadelphia are all located in the facility. On June 10, 2005, the Wachovia Center set a record for the highest attendance for an indoor hockey game in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania (20,103) when the Philadelphia Phantoms won Game 4 of the 2005 Calder Cup Finals over the Chicago Wolves to win the Calder Cup . The attendance record

3294-504: The right. The team also celebrated some of the building's memorable moments throughout the season. The Flyers marked the last season by playing two pre-season games at the Spectrum. They played the Carolina Hurricanes in an NHL pre-season game on September 27, 2008, and the Phantoms on October 7 of that same year. Before the game against Carolina, the Flyers honored the team captains in the franchise's history. Those honored in

3355-547: The south end of Broad Street in an area previously known as East League Island Park and now referred to simply as the South Philadelphia Sports Complex . Ground was broken on the arena on June 1, 1966, by Jerry Wolman and then-Philadelphia Mayor James Tate as the home of the NHL's expansion Philadelphia Flyers . The first event at the arena was the Quaker City Jazz Festival on September 30, 1967, produced by Larry Magid. The first sporting event at

3416-519: The top and a four-sided American Sign and Indicator scoreboard at the bottom. Inside the videoscreens were General Electric projectors located 15 feet (4.6 m) away from each screen. The Flyers won their first Stanley Cup at the Spectrum on May 19, 1974, defeating the Boston Bruins , 1–0, in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals in front of a then-capacity crowd of 17,007. Perhaps

3477-584: The world record for the fastest conversion from Hockey to Basketball. The Spectrum, along with the Met Center and The Forum , was one of the first sports arenas to have a scoreboard with a messageboard. Furthermore, the messageboards on the Spectrum scoreboard were the first dot matrix screens in pro hockey or basketball, capable of photos, animation, and replays as well as messages. This was replaced in 1986 with ArenaVision, which consisted of six 9-by-12-foot (2.7 by 3.7 m) rear-projection videoscreens at

3538-528: Was broken on June 9, 2010, as the Wachovia Center set another attendance record of 20,327 for Game 6 of the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals ; the Flyers lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in overtime, which gave Chicago its first Stanley Cup since 1961 . The Wells Fargo Center also set a record for the highest attendances for a college basketball game in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania on January 29, 2017, when Villanova played and defeated Virginia before

3599-423: Was enlarged and repainted in black. The 76ers then signed a non-signage sponsorship agreement with Firstrust Bank as their official banking sponsor. On July 24, 2024, Wells Fargo announced that it would not renew its naming rights deal with Comcast Spectacor, the owner of the arena, once it expires in August 2025, ending a 29-year relationship that dates back to one of company's predecessors, CoreStates , sponsoring

3660-422: Was imploded on March 21, 2004, the almost half-year process of demolishing the then-44-year-old arena, done without the use of explosives, was completed in May 2011. This was done to protect its other sports facilities from dust. Water was used to prevent dust from spreading. A 300-room hotel is planned to eventually be built on the demolished Spectrum's site, which is now occupied by a parking lot, as an adjunct to

3721-437: Was rumored to be among the acts to commemorate the closing of the arena. "It is our hope and intent to bring back many of the musical acts and entertainers who have made the Spectrum 'America's Showplace. ' " Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band played two shows at The Spectrum on April 28 and 29 as part of their Working on a Dream Tour , and returned on October 13–14 and 19–20 for their Spectrum swan song. Springsteen debuted

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