Sprinter Noah Lyles and Snoop Dogg help NBC post best track test ratings in 12 years

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) – The combination of Noah Lyles, Snoop Dogg and 16-year-old Quincy Wilson vying for a spot in the Olympics gave NBC its largest audience for the U.S. track trials since 2012, based on Nielsen.

Viewership for the Sunday evening trials presentation peaked at 5.7 million viewers across the time Lyles took to the track to win the 100-meter final.

On Saturday night, the show, highlighted by Sha’Carri Richardson’s win in the 100, averaged 4.1 million viewers, which for the 2021 trials represents a 41% increase from the identical Saturday night.

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Richardson also won that night, but her recognition increased when she was stripped of her title after testing positive for marijuana.

NBC included Snoop Dogg in its Olympic coverage, and he provided several funny moments throughout the trials, including meeting Lyles before Sunday night’s race and handing him a briefcase that contained the sprinter’s red tracksuit and Yu-Gi-Oh! bargaining chips.

Snoop also ran the 200 meters (in 34.44 seconds) with the help of NBC analyst Ato Boldon and former national champion Wallace Spearmon.