US Cheerleading Team at the Olympics

There are few people more closely associated with the 2024 Olympics than Snoop Dogg.

When an American athlete is competing for a medal in Paris, there will be a camera ready to pan to the American rapper cheering in the stands.

He has been seen dancing with the US women’s gymnastics team, wearing a riding crop to cheer on American equestrian athletes and even trying his hand at judo.

Snoop Dogg’s enthusiasm for the Olympics has breathed new life into the Games, attracting viewers in Paris and on the Internet, and making this summer’s Games the most-watched event, according to NBC statistics.

After clips of Snoop Dogg hosting a highlight reel alongside comedian Kevin Hart on NBC’s Peacock streaming platform during the 2021 Tokyo Olympics went viral, the network has given the rapper a bigger role in 2024: special correspondent.

But Snoop Dogg seems to have taken this role to the next level by becoming a cheerleader for American athletes regardless of sport.

He began his games in an indispensable role: he was one of the final torchbearers of the Olympic flame before the opening ceremony of the Games last week.

The 52-year-old, whose full name is Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr, carried the torch through the streets of Saint-Denis, north of Paris, home to the Stade de France Olympic Stadium.

While his role as special correspondent and torchbearer had been previously announced, Snoop Dogg’s constant presence and energy for the American athletes came as a special surprise to viewers.

“We were surprised by his popularity, but never underestimate Snoop Dogg,” Molly Solomon, NBC’s executive producer of the Olympics, told reporters this week.

She described him as “an ambassador of happiness”.

As the U.S. women’s gymnastics team competed earlier this week, Snoop Dogg danced in the stands wearing a T-shirt featuring Simone Biles.

Elsewhere in Paris, he cheered on tennis star Coco Gauff and volleyball star Kelly Cheng, among countless others.

On Saturday, he joined celebrity American chef Martha Stewart to watch equestrian events while wearing riding gear.

He participated in a judo promotion event during the Olympics, where he was awarded an honorary black belt and learned to swim from American swimming legend Michael Phelps.

Some believe that the rapper’s presence was a key factor in boosting ratings.

According to an NBC Sports press release, starting July 26, the day of the opening ceremony, the five-day average total audience was 34 million viewers when combining daytime and primetime broadcasts.

That’s up 79% from the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, where viewership was hit by the pandemic.

But beyond the viewership and virality, Snoop Dogg says he’s just enjoying himself.

In an interview with NBC Nightly News’ Lester Holt, recalling watching the Olympics on TV as a child, he shared that “never in my wildest dreams did I expect to be in this role at the Olympics.”

“I was the biggest kid in the crowd,” said Snoop Dogg.