Comcast Spectacor is selling three of its four Flyers SkateZone arena complexes in the Philadelphia area to Black Bear Sports Group. This is according to a report in Philadelphia Business Journal. The three arena complexes in Northeast Philadelphia (two ice surfaces), Pennsauken New Jersey (two ice surfaces), and Atlantic City (one ice surface), represent a significant expansion of the Black Bear Sports Group’s arena portfolio in Central and Southern New Jersey. Black Bear Sports Group considers itself the “largest owner/operator of ice rinks in the United States”.
Comcast Spectacor is effectively exiting the community hockey arena business as indicated by the statement that it “will continue to focus on managing this location as the world-class training facility for the Philadelphia Flyers”. It began building and acquiring Flyers SkateZone facilities in the late 1990s in order to support the further growth of the sport of ice hockey in the Philadelphia area, which was part of the late Flyers’ founder Ed Snider’s vision.
Comcast built the Flyers SkateZone in Atlantic City in 1999 and the Flyers SkateZone in Northeast Philadelphia in September 2001. The Flyers SkateZone in Pennsauken was an acquisition for Comcast Spectacor. It was built as the Twin Rinks of Pennsauken and we believe that facility opened in July 1991.
The community arena that Comcast Spectacor is retaining is the FlyersSkate Zone at The Virtua Center in Voorhees, New Jersey, which is the practice facility for the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers have a major investment in this arena, so it’s not surprising that Comcast wants to continue to operate it.
Joint Comcast Spectacor / Black Bear Press Release
- Comcast Spectacor Reaches Agreement of Sale With Black Bear Sports Group for Three Skate Zone Properties, BusinessWire. This press release adds: “Full transfer of ownership and operation is planned to go into effect within 30 days pending receipt of the necessary approvals and completion of the sale….”Comcast Spectacor will continue to own and operate Virtua Center Flyers Skate Zone at Voorhees and will continue to focus on managing this location as the world-class training facility for the Philadelphia Flyers. A new multi-year marketing arrangement will allow Comcast Spectacor to continue to identify with these rinks and allow both the Flyers and Black Bear to promote their goods and services to each other’s respective fans and customers.”
How Other Publications Cover This Story
- Comcast is Selling Three of its Four Skate Zone Properties, Crossing Broad. Kevin Kinkead reports, “The Skate Zones run a variety of leagues/clubs/tournaments and house academy operations, so they’re a key part of the local hockey community here in the Delaware Valley. Not sure why Comcast wanted to shift ownership of three of these places, but they’ve been re-working their hockey portfolio in the years follower Ed Snider’s passing, with some new folks involved in the decision making over there.”