Onlyfans has made adult content a millionaire business thanks to a different strategy. And now it goes for more

It started as an alternative to Patreon. He ended up dominating adult content on the Internet. Onlyfans has broken molds, has faced vetoes and has resisted the scrutiny of banks, governments and technological. And yet, he has paid more than 20,000 million dollars to its creators. In the new episode of Xataka presentsour partner Jota García immerses himself in the history of a platform that has challenged the standards of the digital market and now tries to transform without losing its essence.

Because what Onlyfans has achieved is not less: professionalizing a historically informal sector, turning it into a profitable industry and doing so without depending on the App Store or Google Play. As Jota says in the video, “Onlyfans has achieved what few digital platforms have achieved: convert the adult content that has traditionally been found on the Internet for free in a source of millionaire income.” The number impresses: 6,600 million dollars invoiced in 2023.

But behind that figure there is a key business decision. Onlyfans has remained outside the large application stores. Because? Because entering there would imply deliver up to 30% of each payment to Apple or Google. As our partner explains, “if Onlyfans’s application worked through these stores, the company would have to distribute up to 50% of each payment between two intermediaries. ”The price of that decision: lower visibility. The benefit: total independence and protection of its economic model.

Of course, not everything has been growth. In 2021, under pressure from banks, the platform announced the prohibition of explicit content. “The massive reaction of users and creators forced Onlyfans to back down,” Jota recalls. Since then, the company has reinforced verification controls, has diversified financial partners and has tried to reposition itself as a space for all kinds of creators.

But can you do it? The brand remains mainly associated with adult content, which is an economic advantage, but also a reputational barrier. Although he has launched Onlyfans TV – a video platform without sexual content, designed for kitchen programs, interviews and training – and has begun to attract musicians, comedians or athletes, many creators continue Feeling the stigma weight. “Many have shown reluctance to link to the brand for fear of rejection of their sponsors,” says the video.

Is this effort to renew? Can Onlyfans become a mainstream space like Patreon without losing your identity? We analyze it a little more detail In the new published video On the Xataka YouTube channel. It is a story that is worth following closely because few platforms have generated both debate, so many income and as much transformation like this.

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In Xataka | The technological one that generates more money is not Apple or Nvidia or Amazon. It is a porn boutique: Onlyfans