As Executive Vice President of Marquee Events and Operations at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. (MSG Entertainment), Joel Fisher is responsible for a wide array of Company priorities. He serves as lead executive for significant initiatives that require special handling and management, from league and political events to one-of-a-kind appearances or corporate undertakings, including real estate, additional construction, and historical projects for Madison Square Garden. In addition, he oversees two of The Garden’s most enduring franchises – college basketball and boxing – utilizing his key relationships to ensure these areas continue to build on their long traditions at The World’s Most Famous Arena. Mr. Fisher is also responsible for other live sporting events such as bull riding, college hockey, esports, mixed martial arts, WWE, and college wrestling; as well as marquee events at Sphere, a next-generation entertainment medium. Sphere is part of Sphere Entertainment Co., which became a standalone public company in April 2023 with the spin-off of MSG Entertainment. The first Sphere venue opened in Las Vegas in September 2023.
Mr. Fisher first joined the MSG family of companies in 1984, and was responsible for building and staffing MSG’s in-house Marketing Partnership department. Since then, he has held a number of positions over his nearly four decades with the Company, ranging from overseeing suites and premium hospitality to group sales. He also previously served as Executive Vice President of Sports Properties, where he ran the day-to-day operations of the department and all business operations for the Westchester Knicks and the New York Liberty (which the Company sold in 2019).
Over his tenure, Mr. Fisher has played a lead role on numerous special projects such as the $1 billion renovation of the Madison Square Garden Arena. He has also led the Company’s efforts to bring landmark events to MSG Entertainment’s venues. Recent events include in 2022, when The Garden hosted its first-ever boxing event headlined by two female fighters, Katie Taylor v. Amanda Serrano. In 2020, when The Garden hosted a free performance of the Broadway production of “To Kill a Mockingbird” in front of 18,000 New York City public school students – the first time ever that a Broadway play performed at MSG. And In 2018, when Mr. Fisher helped bring the 60th Annual Grammy Awards to The Garden for the third time. He also helped bring the NCAA Basketball East Regional Finals to The Garden in 2014, 2017, and 2023. Other past events include UFC 205, which marked the return of professional mixed martial arts in New York State; the MTV Video Music Awards at MSG; the celebrated visit of His Holiness Pope Francis to The Garden; and the first-ever eSports tournament held at MSG, as well as League of Legends World Championship events in 2015, 2016 and 2022. He has also overseen NBA and WNBA All-Star Games, including the inaugural WNBA All-Star Game played in 1999; as well as NBA and NFL Drafts; the 39th and 45th Annual Grammy Awards; and the 2004 Republican National Convention.
Mr. Fisher serves on the boards of the Garden of Dreams Foundation, a non-profit organization that works closely with all areas of MSG Entertainment to assist young people in need, and Big Apple Basketball Inc., which is dedicated to assisting young people in attaining their educational and professional goals. He also serves on the Executive Committee Board for NYC & Company and the 34th Street Partnership.
Mr. Fisher resides in Manhattan with his wife Lisa and has three daughters: Colette, Gabrielle, and Jolie.