Snoop Dogg Prepares to Broadcast the Olympics

LOS ANGELES – Gold medal winners won’t be the only stars at this year’s Olympic Games.

Snoop Dogg, Kevin Hart, Kenan Thompson, Kelly Clarkson, Leslie Jones, Peyton Manning, and Jimmy Fallon are among the celebs NBC will feature to share the stories of runners, gymnasts, swimmers, and other athletes chasing history. The action kicks off July 24 with soccer coverage on USA.

These additions aim to provide fresh incentives to tune into the primetime broadcasts, especially when NBC and Peacock will broadcast events live throughout the day.

The three-hour nightly curated presentation, as Executive Producer Molly Solomon calls it, will recap the day’s best performances on NBC, including various extras.

“We’re starting off with ‘Gold Medals’ at 7 p.m. and will enhance our storytelling with more behind-the-scenes access, athlete-generated content, and onscreen technology to help viewers appreciate these incredible athletes,” Solomon explains. “You might know what happened, but we’ll tell you why it happened and advance the story in primetime.”

On Peacock, viewers will experience “every moment, every medal, every network and cable simulcast,” according to Solomon. “Peacock will be the most comprehensive Olympics destination in U.S. media history.”

Translation: Peacock is for the hardcore Olympics fans.

Snoop Dogg will serve as a roving reporter, visiting venues and chatting with athletes and their families.

“The Olympics bring the world together to cheer on our countries and athletes,” says the award-winning rapper. “It’s a rare time when the world unites as one. It’s like a peace offering.”

With his broad fan base and unique style, Snoop plans to shake up the traditional format, bringing his flavor to the event. “We’re just having fun,” he says.

Rowdy Gaines, an Olympic gold medalist swimmer and longtime NBC commentator, says the Games give athletes lacking a Super Bowl or World Series their time in the spotlight. “It’s a four-year journey, representing the pinnacle of our success,” he notes.

Snoop, he adds, knows the effort involved, comparing it to producing a record. “When you make a record, you’re all in.”

The key to success, Snoop says, is hard work. “Being an Olympic athlete takes a lot. I look forward to being around them. I’ve been working out too, so in case they need a hand or a foot, I’m available,” he jokes.

While pros like Gaines will handle many of the calls (mostly at the venues, not U.S. locations), celebrities will get to share their reactions to the results.

A group of social media influencers will add a fresh angle to the storytelling, according to Solomon.

“We’ll have different flavors of social coverage each night, which will be pushed to primetime.”

Solomon’s team will be on standby to react quickly if a big story breaks. “We have about 10 ENG crews ready to respond to the next great story,” she says. “We’re ready to pivot, but it all starts with a great plan.”

Whether live or not, Snoop Dogg believes it doesn’t matter where you are. “You’ve got the spirit…you do what you do, from the living room, from the broadcast booth.”

Because of the six-hour time difference between the United States and Paris, most events will happen in the afternoon U.S. time. From 1 to 4 p.m. central time, key events will unfold. In the evening, viewers who missed the live coverage will catch recaps.

“We’ll have 243 live hours on NBC,” Solomon notes. “This lets us ensure we reach the broadest possible audience for this Olympics.”

The three-hour turnaround time will let producers talk to families, coaches, and athletes to “advance the stories.” Imagine Snoop at the venue, and all of that woven into the storytelling.

Complete coverage of the Summer Olympics begins July 26 on NBC and Peacock.

Source: NBC, USA