Ed Snider is an iconic entrepreneur and true visionary in the sports and entertainment industry. His emergence as a leader in the Philadelphia Sports Market began in 1966, by bringing a National Hockey League franchise to the city, as the founder of the Philadelphia Flyers. He became the driving force behind the construction of the Spectrum and assumed control of the building in 1971. In 1974, Ed created Spectacor as the management company to oversee the Flyers and Spectrum. Over the next 20 years, Spectacor experienced unprecedented growth earning national acclaim for its impact in the sports and entertainment business. Under Snider’s guidance, Spectacor developed and acquired nearly a dozen related companies.

In 1996, he merged Spectacor with the Comcast Corporation to form Comcast-Spectacor. The new venture initially consisted of the Philadelphia Flyers, Philadelphia 76ers, Wachovia Center, Wachovia Spectrum, and Philadelphia Phantoms. Comcast-Spectacor then joined with the Philadelphia Phillies to form Comcast SportsNet, one of the highest-rated regional sports cable networks in the country.

Most recently, Comcast-Spectacor developed Global Spectrum, an international facilities management company, Ovations Food Services, an international concessions company, New Era Tickets, and the Flyers Skate Zones. These entities all represent components of Ed's vision: “Take what you do well and grow it.”

Snider's success and business acumen have been widely recognized by his peers. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988 and serves on the NHL's Executive Committee. He is also a member of the NBA’s Advisory Finance Committee. He is a recipient of the Lester Patrick Award for outstanding service to hockey in the United States and has been elected to the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame, the Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, and the Flyers Hall of Fame. In 2005, Ed received the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce's William Penn Award, the most prestigious business honor in the region, and the Ellis Island Medal of Honor awarded to Americans of all ethnic backgrounds who have made significant contributions to our society.

One of Snider's recent accomplishments is the creation of the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation, which provides underserved children in the Philadelphia area with the opportunity to learn to play ice hockey at area rinks. The program features an educational component that emphasizes teamwork and goal setting as important life lessons. In 2008, the Foundation rescued three of the five Philadelphia inner-city ice-skating rinks that were targeted for closure by funding and operating them for the City. The Foundation now funds and administers programming in all five City rinks.

Snider received honorary degrees from Hahnemann University and Thomas Jefferson Hospital. He is also a Benefactor of the Sol C. Snider Entrepreneurial Center of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and Vice Chairman of the Simon Wiesenthal Center.

Snider’s philanthropic generosity has benefitted numerous organizations and agencies throughout the Greater Philadelphia Region.

In May 1999, readers of the Philadelphia Daily News selected him as Philly's Greatest mover and shaker of the millennium.

He resides in suburban Philadelphia. His children are daughters Lindy, Tina, and Sarena and sons Craig, Jay, and Samuel, as well as 15 grandchildren.