OnlyFans CEO at Axios BFD: "Our goal is to change the internet"
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Keily Blair speaking at Axios BFD in New York. Photo: Steven Duarte
OnlyFans CEO Keily Blair said at the Axios BFD conference in New York that her company's goal is to "change the internet," in part by inverting existing business models.
Why it matters: Blair noted that the U.K-based site, which is known for its adult content, offers streaming content (such as stand-up comedy) for free, while making users pay for social media content. "We don't have to accept the way that things are structured at the moment," she said. "There are alternative business models out there that can be successful."
- Asked about the fact that X, formerly known as Twitter, is experimenting with paywalled content, Blair said: "Imitation is the nicest form of flattery."
The big picture: While few attendees at Axios BFD in New York raised their hands when moderator Kia Kokalitcheva asked if they had OnlyFans accounts, the company's growth has been astronomical.
- Revenue topped $1 billion in 2022, with $525 million in profit. "We've often heard it said that we are the secret media success story," Blair said.
- "Everyone thought we might be a pandemic bubble company," Blair said. Instead, growth has accelerated.
- The site reports having over 3 million content creators.
How it works: Blair stressed that the site is focused on developing alternate business models for monetizing internet content besides subscriptions.
- "Actually, pure subscriptions accounted for less than 50% of our revenue," she said, adding that users are doling out money via tips, pay-per-view payments and microtransactions to engage with content and creators.
- OnlyFans offers some "safe for work" content free to all through its OFTV platform, but only subscribers can access content on the website — including adult content — and follow individual contributors.
- "We're a site for grown-ups," Blair said, noting that subscribers must be 18+.
Beyond porn stars, Blair argued that creators with big followings have not always seen their fair share of the revenue they are creating, and that OnlyFans is helping to change that.
Of note: OnlyFans is already using AI for content moderation, but only to tell its human content moderators — who review 100% of content — what to prioritize, she said.
- "We're never gonna hand over the keys of the kingdom to robots," Blair said.
What to watch: "People are always asking us are you gonna go public? The answer is it's not in the roadmap now," Blair said.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify that only some "safe for work" content is freely available, through the OFTV platform.
