The Jazz means business: regardless of the scoreboard, the NBA team is a win for Utah.

• Author: Sutherland, Spencer

When Larry H. Miller bought the Utah Jazz in 1985, his intention was to give something back to the community he loved. "If you go down to the root of [why he bought the Utah Jazz], it has a lot to do with our family's commitment to the state of Utah," says Greg Miller, Larry H. Miller's son who serves as CEO of the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies. "When it comes to the Jazz, I don't think there's any question that my dad felt strongly that the quality of life is enhanced for Utah citizens, himself included, because the Utah Jazz is part of the landscape ... We really view [the Utah Jazz] as a community asset."

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From the Stockton and Malone era to today's Deron Williams-led team, the Utah Jazz has played a leading role in enhancing the state's social and business community.

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A Slam Dunk

The Utah Jazz does more for the Beehive State than keep basketball enthusiasts happy. The Utah Jazz has a winning economic and community-building impact on the state. In fact, ifs estimated that each at-home Jazz game brings in approximately $1 million to the state. That's because when people attend a game, they often make it a night out on the town, spending money at local restaurants, parking or taking public transportation, and buying other Jazz-related merchandise.

Jeff Robbins, president and CEO of the Utah Sports Commission, says the Utah Jazz is a huge economic driver for the state. In fact, Utah's sports industry as a whole has an estimated $6 billion impact on the state each year--and the Jazz is a huge piece of that pie. "Sometimes people don't view the industry in a money-making way, but at the end of the day it has a significant impact on the local economy," Robbins says.

Hersh Ipaktchian, president and CEO of Iggy's Sports Grill, says that a Jazz game means a busy night at the restaurant. "When the Jazz play, we see about 40 percent more people," Ipaktchian says. "People make an evening out of the games. If they don't have tickets, we're the next best place to be. They can come here and get loud cheering with other fans. If they have tickets, they come here first to eat and get ready for the game. We benefit every night that the Jazz play, even when they're playing outside of Utah."

Beyond the in-state dollars that get spent before, during and after a Utah Jazz game, the franchise continues to boost Utah through televised events that promote the state's image across the nation and throughout the world. "Media value cannot be underestimated," says Robbins. "When sporting events are televised throughout the nation, the state is promoted which helps drive tourism and other sporting events to Utah. It also helps shape our image nationally and internationally. Anytime you're associated with a major sporting event that has credibility, there's also some rub off on credibility that you get as a community as well."

Robbins adds that third party commentators and broadcasters during the games also help promote the state. "If the Sports Commission runs an ad, everyone knows it's an ad. But if a commentator talks about the state of Utah being a really great place, ifs effective to help build the state's image nationally and internationally," Robbins says. "The national games that are broadcasted from the EnergySolutions Arena--you not only get some of the economic impact from the game, but you also get an impact from the broadcast that shows a lot of beauty shots and includes mentions about Salt Lake City and the state of Utah. There's significant promotional and media value that these major sporting activities have for the state."

Keeping the Fans Cheering

"We can't control...