COMCAST-SPECTACOR expanded from its Philadelphia base through a string of acquisitions and startups
2000
■ Forms Global Spectrum after acquiring Globe Facility Services, a facility management firm with five accounts. Globe’s co-founder, Mich Sauers, knew Ed Snider and Peter Luukko from his days working at the Spectrum and at SMG.
■ Forms its food and retail division by buying a share of Leisure and Recreation Consultants, a minor league baseball concessionaire, and three Maryland minor league baseball clubs and their concessionaire, Excel Food Services (it sold the ballclubs in 2006). The new venture is renamed Ovations Food Services and led by LRC’s Ken Young. Excel’s business alone adds $5 million in annual sales to Ovations’ balance sheet, doubling its revenue.
2001
■ Adds Front Row Marketing Services, which sells sponsorships and premium seats for sports facilities. Front Row and Global Spectrum predecessor Globe Facility Services had some of the same investors and worked in the same buildings, says Front Row founder and President Dick Sherwood.
2003
■ Breaks into ticketing, forming New Era Tickets, a firm headed by Fred Maglione, the Sixers’ former director of sales and marketing. Also buys a piece of Paciolan, of which it gained full ownership in 2010.
2006
■ Forms FanOne Marketing, a CRM database manager and part of New Era Tickets, in 2006. FanOne has deals with six Ticketmaster clients, including the New Jersey Nets (right) and Los Angeles Kings, the NHL team owned by AEG’s Phil Anschutz.
