Can OnlyFans Survive Without Porn?

In a move to get funding, the website has banned its most popular content. Yoga and cooking, anyone?

There was an old joke from people who bought Playboy magazine — that they were only buying it for the articles.

That line came to mind today when I saw the news that the popular streaming website OnlyFans was going to ban explicit content from October 1. As a result, all those viewers who were flocking to the website for a range of content — ‘reading the articles’ in Playboy speak — may now leave the platform.

Can OnlyFans survive without porn?

Before I go on, let me start with a confession. Don’t worry; I’ll get to the porn quickly.

The only time I have gone onto the OnlyFans website was earlier this year when I was researching an article about Bella Thorne and her success on the platform.

At the time, I was caught by my 14-year-old son, who, with a smile, asked me why I was on OnlyFans.

I replied, asking him how he knew about OnlyFans and his smile grew wider, and he walked off. I guess he spent more time on the platform than I did.

So with that little story in mind, let’s take a look at OnlyFans and what impact this change may have.

The origin story

When OnlyFans was launched in 2016 by Tim Stokley, it had nothing to do with explicit content.

Stokley wanted to create a social media platform where influencers could monetize their content — something which Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter didn’t offer at the time. He devised a model where influencers could create a monthly subscription for members to be able to view their content and engage with them. The model would allow the content creators to take 80% of the membership fees of their fans.

Initially, musicians, personal trainers, chefs, and creators joined OnlyFans and started posting content. However, with the website having no policy around nudity, it soon aroused the interest of sex workers.

The content quickly turned explicit as new creators uploaded everything from naked photos to videos of themselves masturbating, performing oral sex, or engaging in intercourse.

This proved beneficial for sex workers as it provided a safe and lucrative place for them to earn money. As we know, sex sells, so there was big money to be made.

And this brought in the celebrities.

The paywall for porn

The money some creators are making on the platform is eye-watering — especially if you are a celebrity.

In her first 24 hours on the platform, Bella Thorne earned over $1 million mainly by leveraging her Instagram account, which had 24.3 million followers at the time.

The current top earner is Blac Chyna, who earns $20 million a month on the platform from her X-rated content and apparently her foot fetish videos. Former adult movie star Mia Khalifa rakes in $11.9 million a month.

In all, 300 creators make over $1 million annually on the platform. It’s a goldmine for OnlyFans, considering the platform keeps 20% of membership fees.

As I said, sex sells.

The influx of celebrities and influencers to the platform did cause angst amongst sex workers who had been using the platform. Not only was their new workplace more competitive, but OnlyFans also capped fan tips at $US100 and pay-per-view post charges at $US50 in response to Bella Thorne’s record-breaking OnlyFans debut.

And as the celebrities were drawing in new users and free publicity, the website more and more on them.

OnlyBans

“In order to ensure the long-term sustainability of our platform, and continue to host an inclusive community of creators and fans, we must evolve our content guidelines.” OnlyFans official statement

OnlyFans currently has over 130 million users, over 2 million content creators, and a great financial model. So it is no surprise that Stokley is trying to raise money from outside investors. He is seeking a valuation of more than $1 billion.

The problem with trying to attract investors is that many are reluctant to be associated with pornographic content. It has also been limited in its distribution as it hasn't been available as an app via the Apple and Google stores, which ban pornography.

And so, after requests from banking parties and financial companies, OnlyFans will ban such content from October 1. However, it will allow nudity is okay if it’s “consistent” with the company’s policy.

While some expressed shock at this deviation from the platform's biggest earning content, it is consistent with a change in the company philosophy back to its earlier roots.

On August 17th, the company announced an OFTV streaming app available for download from the major tech platforms. The app will feature content across several categories, including music, comedy, cooking, and fitness.

Their Social Media feed has also focused heavily on mainstream content from family-friendly creators.

Some sex workers have noticed a considerable drop in their earnings since the focus began to shift.

Will creators move to other platforms?

Ok. Time for a second confession. I wasn’t totally honest before.

I went on OnlyFans one more time after my Bella Thorne article. It was for another piece on OnlyFans creators putting adult content on the gaming platform Twitch. Young teens primarily use Twitch, and some creators were using unethical ways to get users to subscribe to their channels.

Twitch did crackdown eventually on these creators — well, crackdown may be too strong a word. Instead, they issued temporary bans for some of the repeat offenders.

So what will the creators making millions from porn do? Is there an opportunity for an OnlyFans clone? MoreThanFans? Fans+?

Or will these creators seek to infiltrate existing platforms as they have done with some success on Twitch?

The celebrities will find a way to survive and probably thrive. But what of the sex workers who aren't celebrities but have been relying on OnlyFans to pay their bills will need to find a new home.

Some have been quick to take to social media with their frustration.

They will be the ones who suffer from this new direction.

The new Netflix?

It will be interesting to see if the OnlyFans pivot works for the company. It isn't known how much of their revenue is derived from adult content, but a look at the top earners on the platform indicates that it would be substantial.

Aside from the revenue drop, there is also the brand association. OnlyFans is considered a porn website. Just ask my 14-year-old son. How quickly can they change the perception of the brand and the platform?

Some serious investment will be needed in marketing and advertising both to creators and to users. In addition, there may need to be incentives for both to stick with the platform.

If they are looking for a warning, it comes in the form of Tumblr, which was once hugely popular for people looking for adult content. In 2018, Tumblr banned sexually explicit images, and in 2019 it was sold for $3 million.

Yahoo had initially bought for $1.1 billion, so it was a substantial financial hit to step away from the content that users were wanting.

Perhaps one way is producing its own content and not relying purely on creators. OnlyFans is creating its own original content series, Unlocked. This series interviews creators while they partake in mini-adventures. It is a way of getting viewers a behind-the-scenes look into the life of a creator and creating a connection with them.

With OnlyFansTV and original content, could this be a signal that OnlyFans will become a more significant player in the streaming platform market? It may not be as far-fetched as it sounds. It wasn't that long ago the idea of Amazon or Apple producing original content for their own streaming platforms sounded silly.

OnlyFans and chill, anyone?

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