HBSE, Devils Name Tad Brown as CEO

Following the departure of Scott O’Neil late last month, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment have found their new CEO: Thaddeus “Tad” Brown.

Brown will take over as CEO of HBSE and, in doing so, “will oversee all business and growth functions for the HBSE brand and its properties, including the Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Devils and Prudential Center” according to the press release put out by the Devils’ PR team. They mentioned his starting date as August 3.

Brown previously worked for the Houston Rockets and Toyota Center (the Rockets’ home arena) and Clutch City Sports and Entertainment in Houston. Fifteen of his twenty years there were spent as CEO. While in Houston, he served on the NBA Board of Governors, was a representative to the Executive Committee and was on the NBA’s Media Committee.

The press release notes that while he was with the Rockets, “[t]he business thrived under his leadership, setting Toyota Center records for sellouts, attendance, total events, and customer satisfaction. Additionally, Houston hosted NBA All-Star Weekend in both 2006 and 2013, as Brown played a key role in making Toyota Center the first NBA building to have two All-Star Games over a seven-year period.”

In addition, “[h]is extensive knowledge of media rights helped fuel the Rockets growth, including the creation of the Houston Regional Sports Network in 2012, now established as AT&T SportsNet Southwest.”

The presser also notes that “[i]n 2017, Brown orchestrated the sale of the Rockets by Leslie Alexander to Tilman Fertitta for a then-NBA and global sports franchise record $2.2 billion.”

Brown was also successful in building “community outreach and charitable endeavors” with the Rockets. He served as President of Houston Children’s Charities, was on the Board of the Greater Houston Partnership’s Opportunity Houston Committee and the Board of Central Houston and was also on the Board of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Prior to joining the Houston Rockets, he “was a Founder and President of Streetball Partners International. For more than a decade, he worked in partnership with NBC Sports and the NBA to build Streetball into the world’s largest global grassroots basketball property.”

Harris said about him: “[w]e are thrilled to welcome Tad to the HBSE family. Tad is an exceptional leader in our industry, and one with a deep passion for innovation and community engagement. With nearly twenty years’ experience leading the Houston Rockets and Toyota Center, we are confident that he will bring a fresh energy and new ideas to our teams, organization and local communities.”

David Blitzer added: “Tad has an extensive track record of success in the sports and entertainment industry, and we are excited to have him on board to lead our elite management team for HBSE’s next chapter. With his experience and passion for growing businesses and global brands, he is poised to continue our organization’s path forward and reach new levels of achievement.”

Brown commented as well, saying: “I want to thank Josh Harris and David Blitzer for this incredible opportunity to lead HBSE in its next chapter. This role not only allows me to work for innovators like Josh and David; it also allows me to work alongside some of the industry’s best talent that has been assembled across the HBSE organization. This is a world-class sports and entertainment organization that cares about the cities and fans it serves. My family and I are thrilled to begin our new journey and I’m eager to help guide HBSE to even greater heights.”

Brown graduated from Colgate University. While at Colgate, “he was a four-year starter and three-year captain of the varsity basketball team.”