Snoop Dogg Joins NBC’s Winter Olympics Coverage Team For Milano-Cortina

Snoop Dogg is bringing his ice to the Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina.

The American rapper-turned-Olympics correspondent is set to resume his “Ambassador of Happiness” role with NBCUniversal during the Olympic Winter Games February 6-22, where he will be one of the most recognizable members of NBC’s broadcast team.

Snoop Dogg attends to the Men’s Park Final on day twelve of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Place de la Concorde. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

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The new assignment comes 18 months after the 53-year-old Los Angeles native’s charismatic gamesmaking became a story in itself. His unabashed joy and admiration for the athletes and unique flair for description (remember in 2021, when he compared equestrian to “crip walking”?) Snoop soaked up the Olympic experience in Paris, where he popped up carrying the torch, hanging out with athletes, cheering U.S. teams on in the stands wearing flag-themed apparel and looking like he was having the time of his life doing it all.

Watching Snoop can be just as much a spectacle as watching sport, and he clicked with U.S. viewers, who recognized themselves in his exuberance and enthusiasm for what he saw. “One of our favorite parts of the Olympics is getting to watch Snoop watch the Olympics,” the Today Show’s Carson Daly remarked in announcing Snoop’s return. His style has been credited with reviving NBC’s Olympics ratings and injecting fresh enthusiasm for the Games after viewership numbers sagged in Tokyo in 2021.

“They’re invested in me being me, and that’s what I love about them because they don’t want me to water down anything or to be something I’m not. They want Snoop Dogg,” he told The New York Times. Tirico has praised the Grammy-nominated artist for going above and beyond in his efforts to provide memorable coverage. “You see how intentional he is in being successful,” Tirico said. “A person with that big of a name can just show up, but he’s here putting the work in.”

Snoop’s assignment in Italy is likely to mirror his Paris brief: he’ll be working with NBC Olympics host Mike Tirico on pieces showcasing the people and places of Milan and is also likely to venture into the Italian Alps for some of the snow events, but he’ll also just be a presence in the stands, admiring and enjoying the Olympic experience. (Imagine Snoop navigating the mountain pistes on a snow mobile, or flying down the luge track, or attending a curling initiation. The possibilities are endless.)

“The Olympics is the biggest stage in the world and, as everyone knows, I’m all about sports, bringing people together, and unifying while bringing the fun,” Snoop said in a statement after his role was confirmed. “I’ll be bringing my puffy jackets, snow pants, goggles, skates (and will definitely be iced out).” Best of all, U.S. viewers will have a front row seat.