Snoop Dogg competes during the women’s qualifying event in rhythmic gymnastics on day two of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games at the Stade Bercy on July 28, 2024 in Paris.
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millions of viewers in the united states tuning Attending the Paris Summer Olympics – many of them got plenty of Snoop Dogg as part of the experience.
According to NBC Sports, total viewership over the five days starting with the opening ceremony averaged 34 million viewers, adding daytime and primetime coverage, a 79% increase over the 2021 Tokyo Olympics release.
senior executives ComcastIts subsidiary NBCUniversal, the U.S. Olympics television and streaming broadcaster, touted not only the success of its production, but also the celebrities and personalities involved in the coverage, namely Snoop Dogg.
The hip-hop artist turned sports commentator and entertainer has been on the sidelines of the Paris Olympics talking to athletes and their families, trying out sports with Olympic stars and analyzing them.
NBC Olympics executive producer Molly Solomon called Snoop Dogg an “ambassador of happiness” during a press conference this week.
“We’ve been pleasantly surprised by his popularity, but you never underestimate Snoop Dogg,” said Solomon, who praised his “perfect combination of arrogance and positivity, and the charisma and vibe are so positive.”
On July 26, 2024, Snoop Dogg carried the Olympic flame in the final stage before the opening ceremony in Seine-Saint-Denis, France.
Victoria Valdivia | Hans Lucas | AFP | Getty Images
snoop dogg join in The Olympic torch relay attracted considerable attention on social media — from clips of him cheering with family members of Olympians to Take lots of selfies Meet athletes and courtside personalities, including tennis legends billie jane king.
He sparked some viral moments, including cheering with American swimmer Caleb Dressel’s wife and young son when Team USA won its first gold medal, dance in the crowd The U.S. women’s gymnastics team responded on the mat.
his swimming class Comments from Olympic legend Michael Phelps have also been circulating online.
“The first time I really saw him in Olympic coverage was at the track and field trials in June,” said Krissy Birdsall, a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The time difference was in Paris. “He’s a lot of fun. He brings a different perspective to the world of track and field.”
The audience is enthusiastic
For the past few years, NBCUniversal has been banking on the success of the Paris Olympics and Snoop Dogg.
The rapper, known for hits like “Gin and Juice,” made his Olympic debut in 2021 when he hosted the hit show “Peacock” with comedian Kevin Hart. Although the ratings for the Tokyo Olympics that year were sluggish and Peacock broadcast very few events, their programs attracted viewers and various clips went viral online.
Snoop Dogg is interviewed during a beach volleyball match on day five of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games at the Eiffel Tower Stadium in Paris on July 31, 2024.
Carl Raisin | Getty Images Sports | Getty Images
“Snoop lit a fire in the Olympic world in Tokyo,” Solomon told CNBC. The next year, NBC executives met with Snoop Dogg to discuss his future role in Olympic broadcasts, she said. .
“He really wanted to go to Olympic cities and tell the stories of athletes,” Solomon said.
Solomon and “Paris Primetime” host Mike Tirico discussed Snoop Dogg’s work leading up to the Olympics during a press conference in July, noting his early arrival ahead of the opening ceremony and his relationship with the athletes. Relationship.
As far as Snoop Dogg is concerned, his preparations sound a little simpler.
“My preparation for prime time is just being myself,” he said at a news conference, adding that he’s “going into practice facilities with different teams… I’m one of those guys that likes to be a part of it. “
Ahead of the Olympics, Snoop Dogg attended the Olympic Trials earlier this summer and has been popping up everywhere since. While Tirico, singer Kelly Clarkson and former NFL star Peyton Manning hosted the opening ceremony, Snoop Dogg was interviewing American athletes and wearing the same Ralph Lauren blazer as theirs.
“Snoop Dogg is one of those people who is totally transcendent and versatile,” said Northwestern University student Kendall Wright.
he has been decorative Out and about in American attire, including an NBC jacket emblazoned with his name and T-shirts emblazoned with the faces of star athletes such as Coco Gauff and Kelly Cheng.
Snoop Dogg cheers on the U.S. women’s gymnastics team at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Wally Scully | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images
“It’s a sporting event, but it’s not a traditional audience,” John Fortunato, a professor of communications and media management at Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business, said of the Olympics. “You see him at events and he has a great personality and can relate to the audience as a fan. That’s really part of his appeal.”
Snoop Dogg remains committed to NBC. Fans will see even more coverage of him on NBC and Peacock this fall when he joins the coaching staff on NBC and Peacock. “sound.”
“I understand why Snoop Dogg and Alex Cooper were included in the Olympics, especially for thousands of people,” said Jenna Mindes, a human resources professional from Woodcliff Lake, N.J. Millennial and Gen X audiences.
She is a big fan of gymnastics and competed at the Olympic Trials in Minneapolis this summer. However, she is not a fan of celebrities participating in the Olympics.
“I think for gymnastics and maybe less mainstream sports, big fans are like gatekeepers and take their sport very seriously… and celebrity involvement seems to dilute the sport,” she said.
“There’s more pop culture, more celebrities and more Snoopy than ever before,” said NBC Sports President Rick Cordella.
Snoop Dogg with American sports anchors Bob Costas (left) and Al Michaels on the beach during day five of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games at the Eiffel Tower Stadium in Paris on July 31, 2024 Taking a group photo during a volleyball match.
Carl Raisin | Getty Images Sports | Getty Images
Meanwhile, the popularity of “Gold Zone” on Peacock, which broadcasts multiple sports simultaneously, is led by Scott Hanson of “NFL Red Zone” in a similar format, and by Alex Cooper, of the podcast “ Call Her Daddy” host.
“We’ve definitely taken a different path in dealing with this issue,” Kodera said of Peacock’s Olympic strategy, which has been a big part of ratings.
The success of the Paris Olympics follows the lowest ratings of the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, and the lower ratings of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
The Tokyo Olympics faces many problems. They were postponed by a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic; no family and fans were in attendance at the events; few, if any, events were available on the streaming service Peacock; and for American viewers, there was a severe time difference.
According to NBC Sports, the enthusiasm among spectators at the Paris Olympics has been high since July 26. The opening ceremony on the banks of the Seine attracted 28.6 million viewers, compared with 17.9 million in Tokyo and 26.5 million at Rio 2016, making it the most watched opening ceremony since London 2012 .
period recent interviews Snoop Dogg says he never thought he would dress up “in his wildest dreams” while working with NBC Nightly News’ Lester Holt Playing this role, especially after watching the Olympics as a kid.
“I was the biggest kid in the crowd,” he told Holt about cheering on the American athletes at games.
Revealed: CNBC parent company NBCUniversal owns NBC Sports and NBC Olympics. NBC Olympics is the U.S. rights holder for all summer and winter Olympics through 2032.
