Some people are shocked to find out that the chief executive officer of OnlyFans is not only an attorney, but also a woman – a mother, even. Keily Blair is not only the website’s CEO, but also an evangelist for the role the company plays in society
Although OnlyFans remains slang for the amateur porn that has made the platform as successful as it is, its CEO challenges the public to think outside what they know.
In a heartfelt carousel post with Kultura, Blair said, “I have a particular soft spot for some of the female athletes who are sharing their content on OnlyFans, because women’s sports are so often underappreciated and so often poorly funded.” In fact, OnlyFans itself sponsors select athletes.
She also spoke about wanting to take an active role in shaping some of the most important forces in our society. At this point, there’s little doubt that social platforms have tremendous power to influence consumer spending, pop culture, and the zeitgeist.
OnlyFans is distinct from other social media in several ways. Most importantly, it belongs to adults, for adults. OnlyFans accounts are closed systems; creators’ accounts are opt-in, so they do not have to deal with a video going viral on the platform and sending an army of trolls to their comments. In fact, virality isn’t even a possibility on OnlyFans – the site doesn’t have a content discovery or recommendation engine the way Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X, etc. do. Only current subscribers can see content while they are logged in.
Why would any of this be important for female athletes?
In a word: Freedom. Adults can use adult language on OnlyFans and don’t have to constantly monitor themselves for behavior that would make them “not a good role model” to impressionable teens who follow them on mainstream social media. They can talk about causes important to them, such as LGBT rights. Creators can set the monthly price of admission to even see their page, which allows fans to support them directly – and also keeps the trolls and critics out. Choosing the kinds of content and interaction they want to offer for pay allows them to earn money while remaining true to themselves.
If an athlete wants to make money on Instagram, they generally achieve this through brand deals or collaborations, which can stifle their self-expression or feel like an anchor rather than an engine. Some of these deals require selling a certain amount of product to make it worthwhile, which can turn off fans. While women’s sports leagues pay less than men’s, alternative revenue streams matter for keeping the best athletes in the game.
Of course, any mention of a woman having an OnlyFans causes a certain amount of controversy. People who conflate OnlyFans with any other porn streaming site jump to the most sensational possible conclusions. And some federations, like the WWE, have clauses in their contracts forbidding their talent to monetize through any third parties at all, including Twitch, OnlyFans, or Cameo.
For women in sports whose contracts allow it, OnlyFans can offer a 1:1 mentorship or coaching platform, a personal vlog – or even a sponsorship.