OnlyFans is a content subscription platform where customers can connect with creators and consume their content. Put simply, fans can subscribe to the content creator\u2019s channel for a monthly fee usually between 5 and 20$ per month, and have access to the creator\u2019s content. Generally, the content is more erotic in nature although not necessarily.<\/p>\n
OnlyFans was created as a response to trends in the porn industry. On one hand, the internet made porn available for free for a lot of consumers, causing production houses’ profits and business model to be destabilized. A lot of pornography platform aggregators made movies available for free while making money off of advertising services and production houses do not have the money or clout to sue these websites. On the other hand, consumer preferences are leaning more towards having connections with the actors\/ content creators, being able to request certain things from them. OnlyFans capitalized on these trends and created a platform where creators are in control and customers have direct access to the creators.<\/p>\n
Value for clients<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n For customers, the main value proposition is having access to exclusive content from the creators. Additionally, customers can send personal messages to the creators and expect a response. They can even send tips and have special requests for the creators.<\/p>\n Value for content creators <\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n For content creators, the main value proposition is that they have direct access to customers \u2013 vs in the porn industry production houses were acting as gatekeepers in a sense. That being said, content creators pocket 80% of the subscription fees while OnlyFans takes only 20%. In the porn industry, usually, production houses pocket 50% of revenues.<\/p>\n Value captured by the platform <\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n As mentioned already, the platform pockets 20% of subscription fees. As of December 2020, the platform had 85 Mn users, more than 1 Million content creators, and 400 Mn USD in annual net sales. Bloomberg believes that OnlyFans is a billion-dollar media giant.<\/p>\n Marketing<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n The platform really picked up when celebrities joined and shared exclusive content on it. Namely, Cardi B joined the platform and used it to share behind-the-scenes footage of some of her photoshoots. Beyonce on the other hand rapped about the platform in one of her songs. That drove high traffic to the platform \u2013 adding an estimated 500k users a day to the platform.<\/p>\n Impact of Covid on OnlyFans: <\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n During the pandemic, the website has seen immense growth both in creators\u2019 and subscribers\u2019 base. In a span of few months, the numbers have more than doubled: in March 2020, the website had 26 Mn registered users and 350,000 content creators. As of August 2020, the website had 50 Mn users and 700,000 content creators. This can be explained by different trends: with more people getting unemployed due to the pandemic, a lot of them are finding a new source of revenue through the website. On the other hand, consumers with more time spent at home are looking for new and more intimate content to consumers from creators.<\/p>\n Scalability and sustainability \u2013 risks and potential mitigations <\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n In terms of scalability, the platform is simple enough that it can be easily scaled to new geographies and new types of content. In fact, it is already global (people from different parts of the world can join the platform) and is already having nonerotic content on it \u2013 some personal trainers, influencers and celebrities are already using the platform to share exclusive content and drive growth into their personal pages.<\/p>\n In terms of sustainability, it is hard to predict whether this growth fueled by the pandemic is here to stay. With more celebrities and influencers going into the website, we can expect some growth; however, realistically, the growth will not be as impactful as the one seen during the pandemic. In fact, not everyone is happy with celebrities joining the platform. Namely, Bella Thorne faced backlash after making more than 1 Mn USD in her first 24 hours on the platform by falsely promising nude pictures to her fans. While that drove traffic into the platform, the identity of the platform has been diluted and other content creators saw this as a threat to the nature of their work and potential subscriber\u2019s base.<\/p>\n One key advantage of this platform is that disintermediation risk is very low. In fact, the fact that it charges only 20% of the subscription cost and creates a constant flow of subscribers to content creators channels, makes it hard for creators to attempt disintermediation. Given the nature of the content, subscribers to a specific channel will most likely switch constantly, so creators need a constant flow of new subscribers to maintain revenues.<\/p>\n Only time will tell whether this is sustainable \u2013 for now, the value is clearly there and OnlyFans is growing.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n For more on this, I highly recommend watching the documentary on Hulu about Only Fans:<\/p>\n https:\/\/www.hulu.com\/series\/onlyfans-selling-sexy-60c749b8-96a4-48aa-949a-954dc0b14a58<\/a><\/p>\n This is also an interesting video on why Bella Thorne faced a backlash from content creators on OnlyFans Sources: <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n OnlyFans Blog Website: https:\/\/blog.onlyfans.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cHow OnlyFans Changed Sex Work Forever\u201d. 2019. The New York Times. \u201cHow OnlyFans Has Become Hollywood’s Risque Pandemic Side Hustle\u201d. 2020. The Hollywood Reporter. \u201cOnlyFans Is a Billion-Dollar Media Giant Hiding in Plain Sight\u201d. 2020. Bloomberg Quint<\/em>. https:\/\/www.bloombergquint.com\/onweb\/celebrities-like-cardi-b-could-turn-onlyfans-into-a-billion-dollar-media-company<\/a><\/p>\n
\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=tlxgorJoHzg<\/p>\n
\n<\/em>https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2019\/02\/09\/style\/onlyfans-porn-stars.html<\/a><\/p>\n
\n<\/em>https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/news\/how-onlyfans-has-become-hollywoods-risque-pandemic-side-hustle<\/a><\/p>\n