TED will offer exclusive audio chats on Clubhouse

It could be a while before in-person TED talks resume in earnest, but you're about to get an alternative of sorts. The Verge notes that TED has struck a deal to offer exclusive drop-in audio chats to Clubhouse. The first, the weekly series Thank Your Ass Off, debuts through the platform on July 12th at 11AM Eastern.

The arrangement lets TED sell ads and sponsorships for its conversations. Clubhouse won't take a share, either. It's not clear if the chats will be available as podcasts or other on-demand recordings, although it won't be surprising if there's a way to listen later.

TED already has a thriving podcast business, with over 1.65 million episode downloads per day.

This is a logical agreement for Clubhouse, where some of the more philosophical conversations have already been likened to TED talks. It's also a shrewd move to keep Clubhouse relevant in the face of stiffer competition. Clubhouse's NFL deal lost some of its thunder in light of the league's Twitter Spaces chats. The TED pact reclaims some of that ground, even if the audience doesn't entirely dovetail with that for American football.