Articles
9 February 2012

Sports: Building Business and Community

by Sarah Ryther Francom

09 February 2012—

 One of my favorite childhood experiences was attending Jazz games with my dad. Watching the action and cheering with the crowd was thrilling—a time I’ll never forget.

Sports play a role in nearly everyone’s life, regardless of the game played or the team cheered for. In this issue’s cover story, writer Spencer Sutherland goes behind the scenes with the Utah Jazz. He talks with Randy Rigby, president of Larry H. Miller Sports & Entertainment, and with Greg Miller, CEO of the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies, about the team’s influential role in Utah’s community and business scene. Sutherland also goes one-on-one with Deron Williams, providing a glimpse into the All-Star player’s life off the court. 

While the Jazz is a staple in Utah’s community, it’s important to recognize the impact the sports industry as a whole has on the state. I recently spoke with Jeff Robbins, president and CEO of the Utah Sports Commission, who shared some surprising stats about the industry. 

“If you look at the global world of sports in Utah—including sporting goods, manufacturers, outdoor recreation, hiking, biking, golfing, professional sports, sports events—the industry has about a $6 billion economic impact to the state,” Robbins said. “Sometimes people don’t view the industry as important to the state’s economy, but when the day is done it has a significant impact.”

While sports franchises, like the Jazz, and the state’s collegiate sports have a heavy presence in Utah, Robbins says the next major player in the state’s sports industry is motor sports, particularly events like the Dew Tour and Supercross. The Dew Tour, which was held at Snowbasin earlier this year, generated about $15 million for Utah’s economy, plus an additional $12 million in media value. 

“These events are economic drivers because of all the dollars they mean to the state, but what people don’t think about is the significant promotional value that these events have for the state. There’s about a $35 to $45 million of media value that was generated for the state. Sports are big business to the state because they shape our image and get more people interested in coming here,” said Robbins. 

But beyond the economic impact the industry has, sports bring people together and build community—an accomplishment not many industries can claim. “Sports become a link that most people can relate to. We are all involved with or have ties to sporting endeavors and sports really become a common ground for people in the community. It gives us a sense of oneness.”

So whether you bleed red or blue, there’s no denying that Utah’s sports industry—including your team and your not-so-favorite team—does a lot for our community. Go Utes!  


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