Users with a Clubhouse account can enjoy some exclusive NFL Draft content and interaction in the days leading up to Thursday’s first round, thanks to a new partnership between the NFL and the social media audio app.

Beginning Monday, fans can use the app to join rooms hosted by athletes, coaches, and network personalities to discuss the upcoming draft, plans for specific teams, and the top prospects involved in the annual player selection meeting. Panels will include a fan mock draft, a pre-draft assessment of the likely top picks, and a conversation with alumni from the University of Alabama football team.

During the draft, users can follow the picks through the app (at joinclubhouse.com/club/nfl) as they’re announced and listen in on discussions regarding each selection. Within those rooms, fans may also be invited “on stage” by moderators to ask questions or share their reactions to a particular pick or the overall draft developments.

The 2021 NFL Draft begins Thursday, April 29 and ends Saturday, May 1.

https://twitter.com/joinClubhouse/status/1386353738659426309

This arrangement with the NFL is the first sports partnership with Clubhouse, which has become popular among tech analysts and execs, celebrities, musicians, and business analysts. The exclusivity of the app, which is currently invitation-only, likely lends to the popularity thus far. A new round of funding has reportedly boosted the value of the company to $4 billion.

Exclusive agreements like this one also helps Clubhouse stand apart from growing competition in “social audio” from companies such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, in addition to Spotify, which recently acquired sports-themed audio app Locker Room.

According to Variety, Clubhouse says that sports fans have been some of the app’s most enthusiastic early adopters in its first year, creating Clubs and rooms devoted to favorite teams, leagues, and players. Partnerships with other sports leagues are expected to launch in the coming months.

It should be noted that Clubhouse is only accessible to users who have received an invitation and is not yet available on Android devices.

About Ian Casselberry

Ian is a writer, editor, and podcaster. You can find his work at Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He's written for Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, MLive, Bleacher Report, and SB Nation.