New South Philadelphia Arena
| Location | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Public transit | SEPTA Metro: (NRG) SEPTA bus: 4, 17 |
| Owner | |
| Operator | OVG360 |
| Opened | 2031 (planned) |
| Tenants | |
| |
The New South Philadelphia Arena is a planned multi-purpose indoor arena located in Philadelphia that will serve as the home of the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Scheduled to open in 2031, the arena will serve as a replacement for the Wells Fargo Center, the current home arena for both teams.
The new arena was announced in January 2025 when the 76ers, who had originally planned to build 76 Place at Market East in Center City, cancelled their plans and partnered with the Flyers to build a new arena to be shared by the two teams inside the existing South Philadelphia Sports Complex. Ownership of the arena will be shared between Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE), owning entity of the 76ers, and Comcast Spectacor, owning entity of the Flyers. Management of the arena will be through the OVG360 division of Oak View Group, which is expected to serve as project manager for the new arena.
Background
In 2022, the Philadelphia 76ers unveiled plans to construct a new arena in Center City, Philadelphia, under the working title "76 Place at Market East". Under the plan, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE) would purchase multiple buildings in the area surrounding the arena site, including the Fashion District Philadelphia shopping mall. The buildings were planned to be demolished to make way for the new arena and other entertainment locations. The arena proposal faced significant opposition, especially among residents and proprietors of nearby Chinatown, who feared the new arena would negatively affect the neighborhood economically. Despite opposition, the Philadelphia City Council approved the arena proposal in December 2024.
Despite gaining approval from city council, plans for 76 Place were dropped after HBSE and Comcast Spectacor announced a deal on January 13, 2025, to build a new arena in the present South Philadelphia Sports Complex instead, with the two ownership groups owning the new arena in a 50-50 joint venture.[1][2] Additionally, the arena will be constructed with the intent of hosting a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) expansion franchise for Philadelphia.[3]
On June 30, 2025, the WNBA officially announced it had awarded a new franchise to Philadelphia, which will join the league in the 2030 season. While the team will share a home with the 76ers at the new arena upon its completion in 2031, Harris expressed hope that the arena would be completed in 2031; if not, the team will play at the Xfinity Mobile Arena (formerly the Wells Fargo Center).[4]
Naming rights
When the Wells Fargo Center is renamed the Xfinity Mobile Arena in September 2025, the deal stated that the new arena would also include naming rights.[5]
References
- ^ Moselle, Aaron (January 13, 2025). "Sixers abandon Center City arena plan". WHYY. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
- ^ "HBSE & Comcast Spectacor Announce Joint Venture to Build World-Class Arena". www.nba.com. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
- ^ Kariuki, Nick (January 13, 2025). "WNBA team in Philly gets boost as part of Comcast-Sixers megadeal". Billy Penn at WHYY. Retrieved January 14, 2025.
- ^ "WNBA expanding to Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia over next five years". AP News. June 30, 2025. Retrieved June 30, 2025.
- ^ "Today's Home Of The Flyers and 76ers Have A New Name: Xfinity Mobile Arena". Wells Fargo Center. May 6, 2025. Retrieved May 6, 2025.
External links