Follow live coverage of day 12 of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, with 21 gold medals on offer
Bow-wow-wow, yippie-yo, yippie-yay, Snoop Dogg can go on in a big way on NBC’s Olympic coverage.
Requested by The Athletics This week, as NBC Universal plans to ask Snoop to return for on-air work at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Games and the Olympics beyond, two key members of NBC Universal’s leadership group responded in the affirmative.
“Snoop went above and beyond what we ever expected him to do here at the Paris Games,” said NBC Sports president Rick Cordella. “He has been enthusiastic. He has been optimistic. I think we would be thrilled to have Snoop back in whatever capacity he would like to come back in.
Cordella’s boss, Mark Lazarus, the chairman of NBCUniversal Media Group, When asked if the company would ask the artist to return to the Olympic family, he quickly responded: “Yes.”
Snoop Dogg was ubiquitous on NBC’s Olympic coverage and in various locations around Paris. He has become such a part of the Olympics BBC News headlined it with the title “ America’s Cheerleader at the Olympics.” The 52-year-old had a small role at the 2021 Tokyo Games as part of a recap commentary show on Peacock alongside comedian Kevin Hart, but has exploded in Paris, putting himself in all kinds of situations involving athletes and sports. traveling correspondent. It has resonance.
Watch #ParisOlympics Steplechase got us thinking about Snoop Dogg’s unforgettable commentary. 😂
📺 NBC & Peacock pic.twitter.com/GawPPJXoDO
– NBC Sports (@NBCSports) August 5, 2024
“This all dates back to Tokyo in 2021. Kevin Hart and Snoop Dogg co-hosted a comedy highlight show on Peacock called “Olympic Highlights,” and there were several clips that went viral, but what also stood out to me was Snoop’s passion for the Olympics, and also in its own unique way its reverence for the athletes and their stories,” said Molly Solomon, the executive producer and president of NBC Olympic production and the central figure in advocating for Snoop’s greater on-air visibility .
“Over the last year and a half, we’ve been getting together with Snoop and really brainstorming about what this role could be. I called him an ambassador of happiness. If you look at his content, everyone wants to meet Snoop, take a selfie with Snoop and just be around Snoop. We’re pleasantly surprised by his popularity, but you never underestimate Snoop Dogg. He’s a beautiful mix of swagger and positivity and just the charisma and vibe is so positive. He has an undeniable curiosity about the Olympic Games.”
Said Snoop to The Associated Press this week: “For me, this opportunity was nothing more than a chance to show the world what it should look like when you put the right person in the right environment.”
#FollowTheDogg Snoop and Phelps!! Tune in totonite 😁😆🔥💪🏿 🏊🏽♂️ 8/7c on @nbc & @peacock pic.twitter.com/6EuMHgVjBR
— Snoop Dogg (@SnoopDogg) July 30, 2024
The artist has competed in an Olympics that has been hugely successful for NBC Universal so far. Through the first full eleven days of the Games, NBCUniversal said it averaged a total viewership of 32.6 million viewers in combined live Paris prime time (2:00-5:00 PM ET) and U.S. prime time (8:00-11:00 PM ET/ PT). .
“We judge success here primarily by having a product that appeals to the public because it comes in large numbers – and that obviously happens at the Olympics,” Lazarus said. “The last few haven’t been as big as we expected. These Games exceed all our expectations.”
Required reading
(Photo: Tom Weller/VOIGT/GettyImages)