Ryan Smith, co-founder and chairman of Smith Entertainment Group, and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman attend a press conference at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City to announce that the NHL will be coming to Utah on Friday, April 18, 2024. Smith bought Real Salt Lake for about $400 million and revived the Utah Royals of the NWSL for $2 million. But is it too soon to call Smith a power broker in the sports industry? Smith is a rapidly emerging and important voice throughout the sport industry.