NBC Sports hit a home run without even knowing it. Again. If you’ve been tuned into the Olympics at all over the past couple of weeks, you’ve likely been hit by a drive-by appearance by rapper Snoop Dogg. Whether he’s chumming it up with Mike Tirico in the studio or on the scene sharing his amazement of America’s winter Olympians.
Who knew that the 54-year-old entertainer could be so entertaining in the snow?
Snoop Dogg’s placement in this year’s Winter Games builds off his appeal to a massive audience during the Summer Olympics in 2024. Audiences were entertained, and critics shared their enjoyment of the moment. No one could have guessed that the laid-back approach and curiosity of one of hip hop’s greatest figures would appeal so much to a mass audience.
What Snoop Dogg’s inclusion should also point out is that NBC is thinking differently about how to present sports that are only seen every four years. It has been teaching lessons to other networks that broadcast games on an annual basis, if they’re willing to listen.
The Olympics are not a tough putt for viewership on NBC Sports. According to the IOC, NBCUniversal has averaged 24.3 million viewers from the opening ceremonies through February 16. That’s an 88% leap in average viewership compared to the 2022 Beijing Games through the same time period.
Naturally, critics can poke holes in the numbers. Comparing Italy to China isn’t apples to apples. Time zone differences matter. Tape delay strategy matters. Measurement changes matter. Nielsen’s Big Data + Panel is now the broadcast standard, and that alone shifts the landscape.
There’s also the benefit of combined windows for NBC, where it lumps in the live editions of the broadcasts with the prime-time elements on tape delay that follow.
However, the task remained for NBC Sports to make the Olympics interesting. The network needed to find a new wrinkle outside just the stories of the athletes to keep people hooked, interested and entertained. That’s where NBC bet on Snoop Dogg for the entertaining Olympic Highlights with Kevin Hart and Snoop Dogg show on Peacock in 2021.
It found angles for laughs and made the Olympic viewing experience relatable when fans were barely allowed to attend at all.
The success of that program led to another attempt and further integration into the Summer Games of 2024, which also saw great success. This winter, viewers can’t escape Snoop Dogg. He’s the life of the party, bringing an energy that beams beyond the competition itself. It doesn’t feel forced, it’s just “Snoop being Snoop.”
He asks questions the common viewer would have about athletes and sports they don’t know or watch. He interacts with pure curiosity and authentic amazement at what he sees in real time. It’s a human touch that provides the presentation through a lens no one could have predicted.
The success of the venture should also serve as an example to other networks with high-profile sports broadcasts. They should find the common curiosity of the average viewer and bring it to life in real time during the event. Access is not always promised in sports, but if a network can carve out a unique angle in its presentation, what league would say no?
Should FOX Sports consider something similar for its upcoming World Cup coverage? Would FIFA be open to the idea of Post Malone following Team USA around during drills? Could FOX Sports sign Lil Wayne as a special correspondent to interview the biggest names from other countries in a five-question feature?
Are networks that carry the four major sports also listening? Could there be more celebrity-infused content creation during a World Series, Stanley Cup playoffs or the NBA Finals? Sports are entertainment, and what Snoop Dogg has provided so far is entertaining enough to keep the audience locked in and wanting more.
He’s a showman who understands he’s now the biggest kid in sports’ candy store.
And that may be the biggest lesson of all.
NBC Sports didn’t change the games. It didn’t alter the rules, the athletes or the stakes. It simply changed the lens. By inserting a personality who mirrors the curiosity, humor and awe of the casual fan, the network made an already massive event feel even more accessible.
That’s not a gimmick. That’s strategy.
In an era when viewers have unlimited options and shrinking attention spans, presentation matters as much as product. The Olympics will always have built-in drama. But NBC recognized that relatability is the bridge between spectacle and sustained engagement. Snoop Dogg became that bridge — not as a distraction, but as a translator.
Other networks should pay attention.
Because the takeaway isn’t “find a rapper.” It’s find the voice that unlocks your broadcast for people who might otherwise scroll past it. Find the personality who asks the questions fans are thinking but analysts often overlook. Find the energy that feels organic, not manufactured.
Sports television doesn’t always need to be louder. It needs to be smarter.
NBC took a swing on something unconventional and discovered that authenticity plays in any arena — even one covered in snow and ice. It turns out the real gold medal performance might be sipping on Gin and Juice.
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.
The overwhelming comments about the drug addled fool is negative. Not only that, but he was obviously hanging around the female athletes more than the men. People who have followed and participated in sports their entire lives get screwed while some dope smoking joker is now what we have to see while missing coverage of ongoing events. Definitely my last Olympics to watch after avoiding them for nearly 20 years and this is what I am exposed to. Same reason I do NOT watch most sports events as they have become a side show and unrelated celebs anywhere within a 1000 miles are the main events.