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Dan Hilferty, who ran IBX and helped Philly land the World Cup, is new boss at Comcast Spectacor

The company owns the Wells Fargo Center, as well as several pro sports teams, including the Flyers.

Dan Hilferty speaks during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Host Cities watch party in LOVE Park, after it was revealed that Philadelphia was chosen as a men's World Cup tournament host city for the first time in history on June 16.
Dan Hilferty speaks during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Host Cities watch party in LOVE Park, after it was revealed that Philadelphia was chosen as a men's World Cup tournament host city for the first time in history on June 16.Read moreELIZABETH ROBERTSON / Staff Photographer

Daniel J. Hilferty, the former top boss at Independence Blue Cross and chair of Philadelphia’s successful World Cup bid, is the new CEO of Comcast Spectacor.

The company owns the Wells Fargo Center, as well as several pro sports teams, including the Flyers.

“Dan is one of the most dynamic and well-respected business leaders in Philadelphia, across the region and in many industries,” Dave Scott, Comcast Spectator’s chairman and governor of the Flyers, said in a statement. “Comcast Spectacor has grown to become a premier sports and entertainment company, and Dan is ideally suited to take it to further heights.”

Hilferty succeeds Scott as CEO.

Hilferty said he was “honored” to take on the new role, which began Tuesday and will involve partnership with Scott and Valerie Camillo, who was promoted this summer to president and CEO of Spectacor Sports and Entertainment.

Hilferty, a prominent civic and business leader, most recently led Philadelphia’s bid to become one of 16 North American cities to host the 2026 men’s World Cup. In June, he gave what he said was a conservative estimate of what the event would mean for the city: a quarter of a billion dollars in economic impact, $262 million in direct tourism spending, 3,500 jobs, and half a million visitors.

Hilferty’s sons got him into soccer through the Premier League. Now, he is a passionate advocate for growing the game in Philadelphia, said Meg Kane, host city executive for Philadelphia Soccer 2026. His new role with Comcast Spectacor will not affect his commitment, and he will continue to chair Philadelphia 2026, Kane said.

Kane sees that same passion in Hilferty’s fandom of the Flyers and everything Philadelphia. Hilferty described himself as a “tenacious” Flyers fan, but Kane said she’d apply that adjective to his fandom of everything involving Philadelphia, calling him a “champion” of the communities and constituencies he has represented. She said he’ll be the “perfect mix of leader and fan” for Comcast Spectacor.

“Dan’s expression, when we first won [the World Cup bid], arms straight up in the air, yelling, that is exactly the energy he’s going to bring to every goal and every major stop that Carter Hart makes,” Kane said.

Until 2020, Hilferty had been president and CEO of Independence Blue Cross, a post he held for a decade. Before that, he had been president and CEO of AmeriHealth Caritas, a Blue Cross affiliate that manages Medicaid and other public insurance plans.

In June, Hilferty launched Dune View Strategies, a health-care consulting firm. Kane said Hilferty’s background in health and wellness has made him even more passionate about getting youth involved, a mission that aligns with the Flyers’.

Hilferty also chaired the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce from 2018 to 2020, and helped with the hosting of several other major events, including Pope Francis’ 2015 visit, the 2016 Democratic National Convention, and the 2017 NFL draft.

He grew up in Ocean City, N.J., and is an alumnus of St. Joseph’s University.

Staff writer Giana Han contributed to this article.