NFL Welcomes Clubhouse to the Social Media Field

Just in time for the NFL Draft, the NFL announced a partnership with the Clubhouse app.
Clubhouse announced on Twitter that this partnership will include a “pre-Draft assessment of the
prospective players, a conversation with the University of Alabama’s football team alumni, a fan
mock Draft, debriefs and more.”

However, not everyone can join in on this fun. The Clubhouse app is exclusive through invite
only. Users cannot download it off of the app store, rather you must be invited to join the app
from an existing member. The Guardian describes the app as “part talkback radio, part
conference call, part Houseparty.”

When joining the app, there is the option to select the topic which you would like to learn more
about. Once you enter the conversation room, users have the choice to listen in to the individual
speaking or can speak as if in a big conference call.

The app is only available on Apple devices running iOS apps, but there are reports that there is
development for an Android version of the app. According to Sport Techie, the app has already
received 10 million downloads since the launch during the pandemic.

This new partnership beginning on April 26, starts off Draft Week. It gives Clubhouse members
the platform to hear draft picks and discuss their guesses on who will be drafted.

Head of Sports Partnerships at Clubhouse Sean Brown said, “the Draft is one of the biggest
events of the year for football fans, and we know that millions of creators will be discussing,
debating, and celebrating throughout the week.”

The NFL is the first major sports league to partner with Clubhouse. But this isn’t the first time
the league has partnered with social media platforms.

In 2015, the NFL partnered with Snapchat to create stories that brought fans into the stadium to
experience the gameday energy. In 2019, NFL and TikTok created a partnership to share more
content to fans like sideline moments and highlights. According to TikTok, the partnership also
helped promote hashtag challenges and create more marketing opportunities for both brands. The creation of the NFL account on TikTok became the fastest-growing professional sports account in 2019.

Facebook and Reddit announced social audio tools similar to that of Clubhouse. It will be
interesting to see if these platforms will generate an audience, considering it won’t be restricted
by invites indefinitely.

What are your thoughts on the Clubhouse? Does this seem like a strong partnership for the NFL?
Let us know @TXADPR.