Who is Alex Cooper? 5 things to know about podcaster turned Paris Olympics host

NBC brought an extensive lineup of talent to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Rapper Snoop Dogg is in Paris is a special correspondent with his "Primetime in Paris" segment - and a huge U.S. gymnastics fan - and is going swimming with Olympic legend Michael Phelps. Saturday Night Live cast member Colin Jost is covering Olympic surfing in Tahiti.

Another new face in Olympics coverage this year in Paris is  “Call Her Daddy” podcast host Alex Cooper. The 29-year-old podcast host and media entrepreneur is anchoring a live-streamed show on Peacock called "Watch with Alex Cooper" through the next two weeks of Olympic action.

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Cooper is doing a picture-in-picture livestream in Paris with action from sports like gymnastics, basketball, and soccer as she interviews guests. She recently interviewed former U.S. women's national soccer team players Tobin Heath and Christen Press during the USWNT's win over Germany.

NBC Olympic president Molly Solomon said NBC brought Cooper into the fold to bring in new perspective fan bases and "bring that enthusiasm and maybe a different perspective to what we’re doing."

Here's what to know about Cooper's program and her journey to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games:

The "Manningcast" of the Paris Olympics

Cooper's livestream with guests alongside the action is a familiar format for NFL fans. ESPN's "Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli" - commonly referred to as the Manningcast - has a similar setup during Monday Night Football games. Peyton and Eli Manning welcome guests, including former and current NFL players as well as celebrities, to discuss different topics alongside Monday Night Football games.

Cooper interviewed Simone Biles before the Paris Olympics

Cooper sat down with U.S. gymnastics medalist Simone Biles in April during an episode of her podcast to talk about Biles' experience in the Tokyo Olympics. Biles did not compete in the team event because she had the "twisties," similar to the "yips" in baseball, and ended up winning bronze on the balance beam.

"I thought I was gonna be banned from America," Biles said. "Because that's what they tell you; don't come back. If it's not gold, gold or bust, don't come back."

"Call Her Daddy" reached two million downloads in two months

Cooper started the "Call Her Daddy" podcast with her roommate Sofia Franklyn in 2018. The podcast covered dating, culture, and life in New York. One month after their first episode, Barstool Sports acquired the podcast into its network. The show exploded in popularity and went from 12,000 downloads to two million in two months.

In 2021, Cooper signed an exclusive deal with Spotify and "Call Her Daddy" is now the most popular podcast in the U.S. on the platform. She's interviewed celebrities including musicians John Legend and John Mayer, athletes Biles and Aly Raisman, and actress Jane Fonda.

She's the second-highest paid podcaster in the world

Cooper's deal to move to Spotify was worth $60 million over three years. At $20 million per year, that put her behind Joe Rogan as the highest-paid podcaster in the world.

Cooper played college women's soccer

Cooper is a former athlete as well. The Pennsylvania native went to Boston University and spent three seasons on the women's soccer team. She played in 49 games over three years with six starts, one goal, and one assist through her career.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Alex Cooper? What to know about newest Olympics host