Snoop Dogg attends the women's artistic gymnastics qualification on day two of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Bercy Arena in Paris on July 28, 2024.
Arturo Holmes | Getty Images Sports | Getty Images
Millions of viewers in the United States are watching the Summer Olympics in Paris — and many of them are getting a heavy dose of Snoop Dogg's songs as part of the experience.
Starting with the opening ceremony, the five-day total average viewership was 34 million viewers, combining daytime and primetime coverage, a 79% increase over the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, according to a press release from NBC Sports.
executive managers ComcastNBCUniversal, the company that owns the Olympics in the United States, was bragging not only about the success of its production, but also about the celebrities and personalities it employed as part of the coverage, especially Snoop Dogg.
The hip-hop artist turned sports commentator and entertainer was on the sidelines of the Games in Paris, speaking to athletes and their families, experiencing sports with Olympic stars, and participating in analysis.
NBC Olympics executive producer Molly Solomon referred to Snoop Dogg as an “ambassador of happiness” during a press call this week.
“We were pleasantly surprised by his popularity, but Snoop Dogg should never be underestimated,” Solomon said, noting his “great mix of swagger, positivity, charisma and a very positive vibe.”
Snoop Dogg carries the Olympic Torch during the final leg of the Olympic Torch Relay before the Opening Ceremony in Seine-Saint-Denis, France on July 26, 2024.
Victoria Valdivia | Hans Lucas | AFP | Getty Images
Snoop Dogg, who joined the Olympic torch relay, has been a social media sensation — from videos of him cheering alongside family members of Olympic athletes to taking numerous selfies with athletes and those on the sidelines, including tennis legend Billie Jean King.
He's sparked some viral moments, including cheering alongside U.S. swimmer Caeleb Dressel's wife and young son when Team USA won its first gold medal and dancing in the crowd when the U.S. women's gymnastics team responded from the mat.
A swimming lesson given to him by Olympic legend Michael Phelps has also gone viral online.
“The first time I saw him on TV was during track and field tryouts last June,” said Chrissy Birdsall, a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, adding that she has been watching more games because of the convenient time difference in Paris. “He was so entertaining. He brought a different perspective to the world of track and field.”
The audience is excited.
NBCUniversal has been banking on the success of the Paris Olympics and Snoop Dogg over the past few years.
The rapper, once known for hits like “Gin and Juice,” got his first taste of the Olympics in 2021 when he hosted a special with comedian Kevin Hart on Peacock. While viewership for the Tokyo Games that year was low, and only a handful of live events were broadcast on Peacock, their show captivated audiences, with various clips going viral.
Snoop Dogg is interviewed at the beach volleyball event on day five of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Eiffel Tower Stadium in Paris on July 31, 2024.
Carl Resini | Getty Images Sports | Getty Images
“Snoop Dogg lit up the Olympic world in Tokyo,” Solomon said in an interview with CNBC. The following year, NBC executives met with Snoop Dogg to discuss his future place in broadcasting the Olympics, she said.
“He really wanted to go to the Olympic City and tell the story of the athletes,” Suleiman said.
Solomon and “Primetime in Paris” host Mike Tirico discussed Snoop Dogg's work ahead of the Games during a press call in July, noting his early arrival before the opening ceremony and his relationships with athletes.
For his part, Snoop Dogg made his preparations look a little simpler.
“My preparation for the right time is to be myself,” he said during the press conference, adding that he had “been sneaking into training facilities with different teams… I'm one of those individuals who likes to be involved.”
Before the Games, Snoop Dogg was also at the Olympic trials earlier this summer, and has since appeared in various venues. While Tirico, singer Kelly Clarkson and former NFL star Peyton Manning headlined the opening ceremony, Snoop Dogg interviewed the U.S. athletes wearing the same Ralph Lauren jacket they wore.
“Snoop Dogg is one of those people who can completely transcend and be multi-talented,” said Kendall Wright, a Northwestern University student.
He wore USA apparel, including an NBC jacket emblazoned with his name and T-shirts bearing the faces of star athletes like Coco Gauff and Kelly Zheng.
Snoop Dogg cheers on the US women's gymnastics team at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Wally Scalig | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images
“It’s a sporting event, but it doesn’t have a traditional audience,” John Fortunato, a professor of communications and media management at Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business, says of the Olympics. “You see him at events, and he has a very strong personality that makes him able to connect with the audience as a fan. That’s where his real appeal lies.”
Snoop Dogg will continue to appear on NBC. Fans will get more of his time on NBC and Peacock this fall when he joins the coaching bench on “The Voice.”
“I understand why Snoop Dogg and Alex Cooper are in the Olympics, especially for the millennial and Gen X audience,” said Gina Mendez, a human resources professional from Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.
She's a gymnastics fan and went to the Olympic trials in Minneapolis this summer. However, she doesn't like the fact that celebrities are involved in the Olympics.
“I think for gymnastics and maybe less popular sports, the big fans are kind of the gatekeepers who take their sport seriously… and the celebrities entering the conversation seem to dilute the importance of the sport,” she said.
“We've seen a lot more pop culture, a lot more celebrities, a lot more trolls than ever before,” said Rick Cordella, president of NBC Sports, adding that this has helped make the Paris Olympics more popular.
Snoop Dogg poses for photos with American sports commentators Bob Costas (L) and Al Michaels at a beach volleyball game on day five of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Eiffel Tower stadium in Paris on July 31, 2024.
Carl Resini | Getty Images Sports | Getty Images
Meanwhile, Peacock's “Gold Zone,” which streams live sports events simultaneously and is hosted by “NFL Red Zone”'s Scott Hanson in a similar format, has been a hit, as has the “Call Her Daddy” podcast host Alex Cooper's “Watch” show.
“We really took a different tack in how we approached this,” Cordella said of Peacock’s Olympic strategy, which was a big part of the viewing figures.
The success of the Paris Olympics comes after the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, which received the lowest rating ever, and the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, which received less attention.
The Tokyo Olympics had a lot of problems. They were delayed a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic; there were no families or fans in attendance at the events; there were few, if any, events available on the Peacock streaming service; and there was a significant time difference for viewers in the United States.
Since July 26, the Paris Olympics crowd has been in a state of excitement, according to NBC Sports. The opening ceremony, held on the Seine River, drew an estimated 28.6 million viewers, compared to 17.9 million in Tokyo and 26.5 million at the 2016 Rio Olympics, making it the most-watched opening ceremony since 2012 in London.
During a recent interview with NBC Nightly News' Lester Holt, Snoop Dogg said he never expected to play the role “in his wildest dreams,” especially after watching the Olympics as a kid.
“I'm the biggest kid in the crowd,” he told Holt about cheering on American athletes at the Games.
Disclosure: NBCUniversal, the parent company of CNBC, owns NBC Sports and NBC Olympics. NBC Olympics holds the U.S. broadcast rights to all Summer and Winter Games through 2032.
