CHRIS HECK
President, Philadelphia 76ers

As President of the Philadelphia 76ers, Chris Heck oversees all day-to-day business operations for the team. Tasked with the goal of rejuvenating the sales and branding operations for one of sports’ most-storied franchises, Heck endeavored to fuse the legendary 76ers heritage with the spirit of the new Philadelphia fan. As the 76ers earned its second consecutive playoff berth following a successful 2018-19 season, the team, with Heck at the helm, led the NBA in attendance for the first time in its history. Since the start of the 2017-18 season, the 76ers have sold out over 100 consecutive home games.

Under his supervision, Heck led the 76ers to a No. 1 ranking in overall season ticket member fan base, the largest in the NBA. The 76ers have become the hottest ticket in the league as demand has grown the team’s Club 76 season ticket waiting list to over 15,000. One of the Eastern Conference’s top contenders entering the 2019-20 season, Heck has seen the 76ers triple its local television ratings since 2005. This season, the 76ers will play on national television in nearly half of the team’s games, and nearly all broadcasts are available internationally, across 24 countries.

Heck’s in-house marketing and content team has been recognized with numerous national awards and achievements. The team was named a Sports CLIO Bronze Winner for their “Phila Unite” integrated playoff campaign and received honorable mention on the Sports CLIO’s Short List in four other categories. Additionally, they received a Gold Addy Award for their 2018 “Phila Unite” playoff hype video, and a Silver Addy Award for their 2018 City Edition uniform integrated launch and advertising campaign. The Mid-Atlantic Emmy’s honored the team in September 2019 with its first-ever Emmy in the category of Sports Feature.

The 76ers, with Heck’s foresight, have built one of the best content teams in all of sports. The @sixers Instagram account boasts over two-million followers, the most of any professional sports team in Philadelphia, while the team’s Twitter account was named the best in the NBA by Complex magazine in 2018. Across all platforms, the team’s social media accounts have garnered over nine-million followers, earning nearly 45 million engagements between 2017 and 2018 alone. The 76ers’ recent uniform launches, including the debuts of the 2017-18 and 2018-19 City Editions, generated over 11 million impressions combined, while the 1.9 million impressions on the 2019-20 Classic Edition launch set a new record for the most ever by a 76ers post.

With Heck’s guidance, the 76ers sold the five largest partnerships in franchise history, increased corporate partnerships by 30 percent annually and established Patriot Partner and Training Complex founding partnerships. Further, the 76ers now have partners internationally in Europe, Australia and China as the team’s brand continues to grow across the globe. Through Heck’s leadership, the 76ers secured the first jersey patch sponsorship in “big four” sports history and developed an industry-changing ticketing platform with partner StubHub.

Across his time with the team, Heck has played a critical role in the development of the Philadelphia 76ers Training Complex, home to the Sixers Innovation Lab, where he holds a seat on the Lab’s Board of Governors. Heck also spearheaded the 76ers’ G League franchise, the Delaware Blue Coats’, rebrand and integration into Wilmington, along with the development of their home arena, the all-new 76ers Fieldhouse, which opened in early 2019. During Heck’s tenure, he also launched 76ers Gaming Club, the 76ers’ NBA 2K League team. 76ers GC has the winningest record in the first two years of the league.

Under Heck’s watch, the 76ers has been named one of the most innovative companies in the world by Fast Company, as the team was the first in the U.S. to secure a jersey patch partnership, venture into esports and launch a domestic sports betting partnership. In the fall of 2019, Heck’s 76ers also held the first-ever 76ers Crossover: Art Exhibition, presented by Reebok. The team partnered with third-party Conscious Basketball to curate an art exhibition, featuring the “creative crossover between 76ers basketball and art.” The free, four-day Art Exhibition displayed more than 200 pieces produced by artists from 11 different countries, showcasing the history of Philadelphia 76ers basketball.

Among other accolades, the 76ers has also been named one of the “50 Best Companies to Sell For” by Selling Power magazine with Heck leading the way. Heck has also seen the rise of the Sixers Youth Foundation Gala, which has been held each of the past four years, generating over $5 million in fundraising for the Foundation. Heck currently sits on the board of directors for the Sixers Youth Foundation.

Prior to the 76ers, Heck served as President of Business Operations for the New York Red Bulls (MLS), and with the NBA as Senior Vice President in the league’s renowned team marketing and business operations arm where he advised NBA teams on ticket sales and service, sponsorship development and marketing, managed the NBA’s Canadian business and oversaw all business and marketing for USA Basketball’s Senior Men’s and Women’s National Teams.

Heck has held senior positions with Villanova Sports Properties, the Miami Heat and Philadelphia Eagles. Named to Sports Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 list in 2008, Heck holds a bachelor’s degree from Villanova University and has served as an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University. He and his wife, Mary Beth, have three children and reside in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania.