Scott O’Neil, the CEO of the Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils, has elected to step away from the organization to pursue new opportunities, the organization announced on Wednesday.
O’Neil spent eight years with Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment.
“I would like to thank Josh Harris and David Blitzer for inspiring, engaging, and empowering me to bring together the most talented executive team in sports and entertainment,” O’Neil said in a statement. “Josh and David are extraordinary leaders, partners, and friends. Their commitment to our teams, brands, employees – and most importantly – their commitment to serving the City of Philadelphia, Newark, and Camden – made our success together possible. To be trusted with the opportunity to steward epic brands – as well as buy, build, integrate, acquire, and grow complimentary businesses to create HBSE as it is today – has been the ride of a lifetime, one for which I am humbled and grateful.”
Under O’Neil’s leadership, HBSE was built from a single-entity team, the Sixers, to an all-encompassing sports and entertainment franchise that spans two professional teams, an e-sports business, a leading arena, and entertainment business, and several growth and venture investments across sports technology.
He led the Sixers to sign the first jersey patch sponsorship in “Big Four” sports history, oversaw construction on the largest and most technically advanced training complex in professional sports, the Philadelphia 76ers Training Complex, established an industry-leading Innovation Lab, and became the first U.S. professional sports franchise to acquire a world-renowned esports team.
