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The basics:

• HBSE CEO Tad Brown praises NJ’s event-friendly leadership
• Prudential Center ranks among top global entertainment venues
• Newark development, World Cup 2026 efforts gain momentum
• HBSE plans new Philadelphia arena for Sixers, WNBA, Flyers

During the recent soccer, media and tech summit at Prudential Center in Newark, NJBIZ had the opportunity to sit down with Tad Brown, CEO of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment.

The discussion comes amid a slew of activity for the Camden-headquartered company. The latest includes a new state-of-the-art arena project in Philadelphia. The venue will house two HBSE teams (the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and a recently announced WNBA expansion team), as well as the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers. Additionally, Prudential Center – which HBSE owns and operates – recently hosted another sold-out UFC event (316). The Rock also continues to be one of the top-performing arenas in the world. And, of course, the New Jersey Devils also comprise HBSE’s vast – and evolving – portfolio.

Brown joined HBSE in 2021 after serving as CEO of the Houston Rockets and the Toyota Center.

A no-brainer

“Let me start with this. This event came together kind of quickly and had good turnout and a really impressive group of speakers and panelists. [Brown participated in a fireside chat segment.] How do you feel about bringing this to Newark?” NJBIZ asked about the inaugural The Global Game: The Future of Soccer, Tech, & Media Summit, which took place July 10.

The event hit just ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup Final at MetLife Stadium. It also came less than a year out from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, during which Jersey will also host eight matches — including that Final.

“I thought it was great,” Brown told NJBIZ. “When the governor’s office said, ‘Hey, we’ve got this idea and the partnership with GK Digital. Would you be interested in participating?’ It was a no-brainer. This is our community. This is our sports town. We love Gov. [Phil] Murphy, his wife, Tammy, his team – [New Jersey Economic Development Authority CEO] Tim Sullivan and the group. We do a lot of work together up and down Jersey – and we couldn’t be happier to be a part of this.

“I think it came off great. It was a really good mix of people having an opportunity to kind of look to the future and talk about what they see the game become. And how to access the game. And people talking about – this is where we were; and now, it’s just possibly lights out for what we can see in the future, and celebrating the present. So, from that standpoint, we’ve been partners with the World Cup [Host] Committee. Tammy Murphy [who is chair of the board of the directors], obviously, is a force of nature, who keeps us all focused on the prize.

“It’s been a lot of fun. So, today was a great tip of the iceberg for what we can do throughout the year to celebrate next year.”

Think big

“The governor has been focused on bringing big events to the state. What’s it been like dealing with them day to day?” NJBIZ asked.

“He’s an amazing guy, No 1 – amazing man. And he is exactly who he is on that stage today,” said Brown about Gov. Murphy. “I think Tim [Sullivan] said it – he’s the best salesperson that New Jersey will ever have. And he wants everybody to love his home as much as he does. And he wants to show it off to the world.”

Brown referenced a point in his fireside chat, which also included the aforementioned Sullivan. The NJEDA leader noted that the administration is willing to take big swings on strategic, low probability/high impact items — such as trying to land the World Cup Final, which of course came to fruition.

“They work as seamlessly and as collaboratively – and as quickly as any group I’ve ever seen in taking strategic swings on the things that they really want,” Brown explained. “And you can’t underestimate that. That’s why they punch above their weight.”

Authentic approach

Brown stressed that New Jersey is just an incredible state – “up and down, everything about it.”

“But to host the events – Super Bowl a decade ago; World Cup, largest event in the world – right here in the Meadowlands. All the different UFC events we’ve been able to wrangle. The VMAs have been here three out of the last five years,” Brown continued. “Prudential Center has been turned into a top 10 building three years in a row in the world.

“So, we go after it – because we know we have to. We got to be maybe a little smart, a little more strategic to try to get out there,” said Brown. “And we’ve got to unabashedly say, ‘We’re here to do business with you. And we want you to be a part of our building, our state, our events.’ I think people appreciate that when they realize that it’s all genuine.”

Open for business

“Does that sentiment and having an event-friendly administration resonate in the space you’re in – with different events, different promoters?” NJBIZ asked. “Does Jersey now have that reputation within the sports-entertainment space of being open for business?”

“Jersey has the reputation – open for business,” said Brown. “Entertainment-sports space, big events, events where, culturally, we are incredibly diverse community. In every walk of life, you can see that Jersey is open. And Gov. Murphy wants to bring everybody to his state to be able to enjoy what we do. And for the people in Jersey, our communities that we serve, to really be inspired and entertained and uplifted by the events that we can bring here. The concerts, the Devils and the World Cup, and everything else you can imagine.

“So, it’s really about making sure that we are doing everything we can to serve the communities – and to serve the communities where we live, work and play. And the governor is out front in every respect, with every promoter, every sports league.”

Brown noted that if there is anything that needs approval through the governor’s office, he said this administration is very quick.

“They will address it. And if it can happen, it’s going to happen,” said Brown. “If it can’t – they’ll try to figure out a way to make it happen. Or, ultimately, they’ll just say, ‘We can’t do that.’ But you know exactly where you stand right away.”

Brick City buildup

The conversation shifted to Newark, where there is a lot of activity happening.

“How has that been, dealing with the local community here and seeing some of the exciting projects and different things happening around the city?” NJBIZ asked.

Scoring support

Another New Jersey company, Newark-based Onyx Equities LLC, came on on board this week as the first official New York New Jersey World Cup 2026 Host City Supporter. Read more here.

“It’s been great,” said Brown. “I think one of the great projects that’s going to transform this part of town is when they get the train station – and get the bridge over to our side. That’s something that we’ve been talking to the governor about for a few years now.”

He said that HBSE is part of a task force put together by Newark Mayor Ras Baraka to examine development opportunities as well as needs to help amplify the area around Prudential Center.

“We want the gravity of New Jersey to come this way. And we want it to come near Pru, near Penn Station. Bring it up here on the way to the river and really build the excitement, build a community and see what we can do over the years to make this work,” said Brown. “That’s a collaborative effort from a lot of different groups, whether it be Gov. Murphy’s office, Mayor Baraka’s office, Prudential, ourselves, the community leaders here.

“And it’s a heavy lift, but it’s something that we’re looking at. And I know that the city and the state are incredibly excited about what’s already happening and what could possibly happen in the future.”

What’s next?

Brown said that the stakeholders are rowing in the same direction as they try to figure out the best path forward.

“There’s a lot of discussion about what could be. And then, there is also reality – timelines and things that we have to look at,” he explained. “Prudential Center here, we’re kind of looking at – what’s the next iteration? What’s the next generation Prudential Center going to look like for the next 20 years? So, all of those things are coming up – and it’s great to have the dialogue. And again, to have partners like Gov. Murphy, like Mayor Baraka here in Newark, who all kind of believe in the same things.

“It’s very uplifting.”

“Having events like Club World Cup Final, World Cup Final next year, UFC – sort of rising tide lifts all boats. Is that felt in your space that New Jersey is having all these major marquee events? Where other promoters, other events are like – what’s going on in Jersey?” NJBIZ asked.

“100% – I call it peak on peak,” said Brown. “When there’s something that’s major that’s happening, the best time to really amplify that is to do something else that’s major at the same time. So, you’re going to see Prudential Center very active. You’re going to see our community efforts very active during the World Cup.

“And whatever we can do to help the Host Committee. Whatever we can do to help the governor’s office; whatever we can do to make sure that our community members, our fans, our customers and the people who are here from out of town to enjoy the World Cup activities. If we can create some additional opportunities there to amplify that, we’re going to.”

‘It’s a great time at HBSE’

“How exciting of a time is at HBSE?” NJBIZ asked.

“It’s really exciting. We’ve grown so dramatically over the last few years. It’s a testament to the vision of our co-founders, Josh Harris and David Blitzer – and what they’ve built and their vision for what could be,” said Brown. “And I think we’ve just hit the tip of the iceberg. We’ve got a terrific leadership team. We’ve got really good cores in each of our different properties. And we love the communities that we live, play, and serve.

“And it’s really about making sure that we’re being true to the teams. Being true to the buildings that we run; putting the best foot forward to make sure that we’re competing in every chance that we get at the highest levels,” Brown continued. “And giving back to the communities, while making sure that we’re delivering fan experiences that are second-to-none. That’s what we’re looking at in our arena in Philadelphia.

“We are excited about the opportunity to build the finest arena in the world, and we’re doing everything we can to understand what that could possibly be. It’s a great time at HBSE. It’s been very busy – but it’s a testament to the leadership of our ownership.”

Local love

“How important is New Jersey to HBSE?” NJBIZ asked.

“It’s incredible. New Jersey is incredibly important,” said Brown. “We’ve got Prudential Center. Our offices are in Camden. Our offices for the Sixers are in Camden. We’ve been great friends and partners for a number of years. And to that point, all of the communities where we’re in, we’re very much like a large corporation.

“We have homes in each of these different cities, and we serve those communities equally. Jersey has been just such a partner. Gov. Murphy, as you saw today, that’s who he is and that’s the person that we’ve gotten know and really work with over the years,” Brown continued. “We couldn’t do the things we’re doing here at Prudential Center and down in Camden without the support of the state and our local communities here in Newark and Camden.”

‘The power of sports’

“And I’ll close with this – any next areas of focus, goals as you look out on the horizon and think about what’s next?” NJBIZ asked.

“Well, yeah, we got to win some championships,” said Brown. “That’s absolutely always on my mind. I tell our staff all the time – the reason we’re here, as opposed to doing other things, is all of you know you’re competitive. Because you want to win. So, that’s what we’re here to do. That’s what we’re here to build. And that’s what our fans want to see.

“Beyond that, it’s really about how do we create those experiences which are so real; that are so unique; so special. That the people who come to our arenas, to our fields, that they don’t forget them,” Brown explained. “And we create those memories, the same ones that I had when I was a kid. The same ones that our owners had when they were kids. No matter which city or team you’re rooting for, those are the ones you feel obligated to deliver.

“That’s incredibly important to us. But it’s really about the most important thing … which is how are we building that team that our community will love? And that we’re delivering not only on the ice, on the court, on the pitch, on the field. But also, how are we serving the community? And what are doing to make the lives of the people within our communities better?”

“And the power of sports and the power of entertainment is an incredibly unique and special way to do that, which is gives us more creativity – and also, gives us more opportunity.”