Paris Summer Olympics viewership rises, with Snoop Dogg creating buzz

Millions of viewers in the U.S. are tuning into the Summer Olympics in Paris — and many of them are getting a big dose of Snoop Dogg as part of the experience.

Beginning with the opening ceremony, the five-day total audience delivery average was 34 million viewers, combining daytime and primetime coverage, up 79% from the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, according to an NBC Sports release.

Executives of Comcast‘s NBCUniversal — the TV and streaming broadcaster of the Games in the U.S. — have been touting not only the success of their production, but also of the celebrities and personalities employed as part of the coverage, namely Snoop Dogg.

The hip-hop artist turned sports commentator and entertainer has been on the sidelines at the Games in Paris, talking to athletes and their families, trying out sports with Olympic stars and taking a crack at analysis.

Molly Solomon, NBC’s executive producer of the Olympics, referred to Snoop Dogg as an “ambassador of happiness” during a press call this week.

“We’ve been pleasantly surprised by his popularity, but you never ever underestimate Snoop Dogg,” said Solomon, calling out his “wonderful mix of swagger and positivity and just the charisma and vibes are so positive.”

Snoop Dogg, who joined the Olympic torch run, has generated considerable buzz on social media — from clips of him cheering alongside Olympians’ family members to snapping numerous selfies with athletes and those on the sidelines, including tennis legend Billie Jean King.

He has spurred some viral moments, including by cheering alongside U.S. swimmer Caeleb Dressel’s wife and baby son when Team USA won its first gold medal and dancing in the crowd as the U.S. women’s gymnastics team responded from the mat.

His swimming lesson from Olympic legend Michael Phelps also floated around the internet.

“The first time I ever actually watched him on Olympic coverage was the track and field trials back in June,” said Krissy Birdsall, a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, adding she has been watching more of the Games due to the favorable time difference in Paris. “He was pretty entertaining. And he kind of brought a different perspective into the world of track and field.”

NBCUniversal had been banking on the success of the Paris Olympics, and Snoop Dogg, for the past few years.

The rapper, once known for hits such as “Gin and Juice,” got his first spin at the Olympics in 2021 when he hosted a highlight show with comedian Kevin Hart on Peacock. While viewership for the Tokyo Games that year was lackluster, and few live events aired on Peacock, their show captured the audience, with various clips going viral.

“Snoop set the Olympic world on fire in Tokyo,” Solomon said in an interview with CNBC. The following year, NBC’s executives met with Snoop Dogg to discuss his future place in the Olympics broadcast, she said.

“He really wanted to go to the Olympic city, and tell the athletes’ story,” Solomon said.

Solomon and “Primetime in Paris” host Mike Tirico talked up Snoop Dogg’s work before the Games during a press call in July, noting his early arrival ahead of the opening ceremony and his relationships with athletes.

For his part, Snoop Dogg made his prep work sound a bit simpler.

“My preparation for prime time is being me,” he said during the press call, adding he was “sliding into the practice facilities with different teams. … I’m one of those individuals that likes to get involved.”

Ahead of the Games, Snoop Dogg was also present at the Olympic trials earlier this summer, and since then has popped up in various places. While Tirico, singer Kelly Clarkson and former National Football League star Peyton Manning led the opening ceremony, Snoop Dogg was interviewing American athletes while donning the same Ralph Lauren blazer as them.

“Snoop Dogg is one of those people that can totally just transcend and be versatile,” said Kendall Wright, a student at Northwestern University.

He has been decked out in USA gear, including an NBC jacket emblazoned with his name and T-shirts with the faces of star athletes such as Coco Gauff and Kelly Cheng.

“It’s a sporting event, but it’s not your traditional audience,” John Fortunato, a communications and media management professor at the Fordham University Gabelli School of Business, said of the Olympics. “You see him at the various events, and he has so much personality that he can relate to the audience as a fan. That’s really where his appeal is.”

Snoop Dogg is sticking with NBC. Fans will get more of him on NBC and Peacock this fall when he joins the coaching seats on “The Voice.”

“I understand why Snoop Dogg and Alex Cooper have been looped into the Olympics, especially for the millennial and Gen X audience,” said Jenna Mindes, a human resources professional from Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.

She is a big fan of gymnastics and went to the Olympic trials in Minneapolis this summer. However, she has not loved the inclusion of celebrities in the Olympics.

“I think for gymnastics and maybe less mainstream sports, big fans are kind of gatekeepers who take their sports very seriously … and celebrities entering the conversation almost seems to dilute the sport,” she said.

There has been “a lot more pop culture, celebrities and a lot more Snoop than we’ve had before,” said NBC Sports President Rick Cordella, adding that this has helped to popularize the Paris Olympics.

Meanwhile, the “Gold Zone” show on Peacock, which shows multiple live sports at once and is led by Scott Hanson of “NFL Red Zone” in a similar format, has become a big hit, as has the watch-along show led by Alex Cooper, host of the podcast “Call Her Daddy.”

“We’ve really taken a different path at how we approach this,” Cordella said of Peacock’s Olympics strategy, which has been a big part of the viewership numbers.

The success of the Paris Olympics follows the lowest-ever rated Summer Olympics in Tokyo in 2021, as well as the lesser-watched Winter Olympics in Beijing in 2022.

The Tokyo Olympics faced myriad issues. They were delayed a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic; no family and fans were present at the events; few, if any, events were available on streaming service Peacock; and there was a severe time difference for U.S. viewers.

Since July 26, the Paris Olympics audience has been on a roll, according to NBC Sports. The opening ceremony, which took place on the Seine River, had 28.6 million viewers, compared to 17.9 million for Tokyo and 26.5 million for the 2016 Rio Games, 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 this role “in his wildest dreams,” especially after watching the Olympics when he was a child.

“I’m the biggest kid in the crowd,” he told Holt of his cheering on the U.S. athletes at the games.

Disclosure: CNBC parent NBCUniversal owns NBC Sports and NBC Olympics. NBC Olympics is the U.S. broadcast rights holder to all Summer and Winter Games through 2032.