Snoop Dogg Will Lead Olympic Hockey Alt-Cast During Men’s Quarterfinal

Snoop Dogg is again doing it all during NBC Sports Olympic coverage.

NBC’s special Olympic correspondent will lead an alternative “Snoop-Cast” on Peacock during the third period of Team USA’s men’s hockey quarterfinal against Sweden on Wednesday. The opening face-off is scheduled for 3:10 p.m. ET. The move is part of a growing trend of networks adding alternative telecasts around the main broadcast of major sporting events.

During NBC’s coverage of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, the rapper turned sportscaster became a popular figure among athletes and viewers alike. For the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games, Snoop has been all over the place again, appearing on-air with host Mike Tirico, hanging out with Olympians, and serving as a torchbearer for Team USA. 

Wearing an NBC Olympic blazer, the 54-year-old entertainer went through some of his favorite moments so far in Italy with Tirico. 

“USA hockey. Let’s go. We are the best fans. We dress for the occasion,” said Snoop Dogg over a clip of an American fan stripping down to his red, white, and blue underwear. He also visited Milan’s famed La Scala opera house with fellow Olympics commentator Martha Stewart in a segment called “Snooping Around Italy.” 

Sweden was ranked third before coming into Milan. So they’re expected to be a tough opponent if Team USA is to make it to the gold medal game.

Previously, the rapper served as a ringside commentator for the Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. boxing match in 2020. He stole the show, too, with lines such as, “This is like two of my uncles fighting at the barbecue!” ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith said his commentary was the most “entertaining” part of the fight. In January, he joined NBC’s NBA announce team during a livestream of Warriors vs. Clippers on Peacock.

Using a fan favorite like Snoop for an alt-cast is a smart strategy. These telecasts tend to skew younger, attracting fans who might not watch the main game broadcast. 

For example, there’s likely to be at least three alt-casts surrounding ESPN’s first Super Bowl telecast on Feb. 14, 2027, Front Office Sports reported last week.

One would be a Super Bowl Field Pass with The Pat McAfee Show, similar to the on-field alt-cast the show did during the College Football Playoff. The second would be a ManningCast with Super Bowl–winning brothers Peyton and Eli Manning. The third would be an animated alt-cast featuring Disney IP such as Star Wars, The Simpsons, Family Guy, or Cars.

ESPN would have to clear rights hurdles from the NFL. But McAfee wrote on X/Twitter those rights hurdles are “very hurdle-able.” A Super Bowl “Field-Cast” starring him and his crew would be “absolutely bonkers,” predicted McAfee.