As the Smith Entertainment Group continues to grow and hone its operations, the NBA’s CEO waxes enthusiastic about the direction of the Utah Jazz and the endeavor to grow a worldwide brand. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s association with Utah Jazz owners Ryan and Ashley Smith of Smith Entertainment Group began long before the couple bought the NBA franchise from Gail Miller and the Miller family in 2020.
In a recent interview with Deseret News, Silver stated that he and Ryan Smith met years ago through the customer experience company Qualtrics, which Smith co-founded in 2002, and that the NBA would eventually use Qualtrics tools to gather insights on the league’s global professional basketball mission.
Here are some additional thoughts from the NBA’s CEO on the direction and enthusiasm the Smiths have brought to the league since acquiring the Jazz and expanding their sports and entertainment endeavors through SEG, which recently brought an NHL franchise to the city. The Smiths have also taken the beginning steps toward a huge rehabilitation project that would drastically change the Delta Center and a large portion of downtown Salt Lake City.
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Deseret News: What was the atmosphere in the league office when the Smiths first took over the Jazz?
Adam Silver: After the acquisition, not only did we know each other and consider each other friends, but I was preaching to the other 29 partners about the benefits of Ryan joining. He had a great foundation to build on, thanks to the Miller family’s superb leadership, as well as his expertise as an entrepreneur and designer of modern techniques for measuring and improving the fan experience. I see him as a futurist who knows traditional marketing at its heart while also seeing that the future of marketing will be technology-based.
DN: What stands out about how SEG has tackled ownership responsibilities?
AS: In the case of Ryan and Ashley, I’m not surprised, but I’m nonetheless impressed with how quickly they’re expanding their activities, both in the NBA and beyond. Ryan was clearly talking a big game when he first entered the league, but I would not have anticipated them to find a method to reach a much larger base of fans in such a short amount of time (via Jazz+). We’ve been impressed by how swiftly they move inside their own organization, personalizing fan technology, developing direct-to-consumer applications, and more. I appreciate Ryan’s perspective on the game, the sport, and how we may boost fan participation.
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DN: Are you shocked by the vitality of the Salt Lake City market in comparison to other NBA host cities?
AS: One of the beautiful things about the NBA is that each market is unique, and those are the ideas we discuss collectively. There is nothing greater than local ownership, and Ryan and Ashley’s ownership demonstrates a thorough awareness of the area in which they live and grew up. I learnt from Larry and Gail Miller, and now Ryan and Ashley, not to be startled by what’s coming out.
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DN: SEG has already increased Jazz access in the region, and the Smiths describe the Utah Jazz as a worldwide brand. Is this consistent with your vision of where the NBA is going?
AS: With 8 billion people in the world, less than 5% live in the United States. Absolutely. Approximately one-third of our gamers were born outside of the United States, and our games are consumed in 215 countries. In terms of team branding, the city and state names are part of the brand and contribute to its global reach. It’s not only the jazz,
The Utah Jazz. It is important to consider the local taste and character. You don’t want 30 teams that are all the same. Some of these firms are more well-known, but owing to digital media, you may gain awareness almost instantly. Individual teams can gain global notoriety regardless of the size of the industry they compete in.
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