Olympians are heroes around the world, but they don’t command the same salaries as major league athletes with multi-year contracts. Getting to the gold takes multiple jobs and big sponsorships. Perhaps most notably, Maggie Steffens of the U.S.A. Women’s Water Polo Team put out a call for help on Instagram and got the attention of rapper and girl dad Flavor Flav, resulting in a five-year sponsorship deal.
But for everyone else, there’s always OnlyFans. And Olympians have used the adults-only social network in more ways than for distributing the “spicy” content that made the platform a household name.
Making Money from OnlyFans After Retiring from Professional Sports
Many athletes retire young and don’t have a path to follow after competing at their peak. Retired British speed skater Elise Christie faced homelessness and alcoholism after her athletic career. She said of the platform, “Once… you are using it in the way that you are comfortable with, you’re not forced into things or doing things you don’t want to do, you can use it in the way you want to use it.”
The freedom OnlyFans gives its content creators has allowed retired athletes like Christie to build a business in a way that lets them support themselves without feeling pressured to perform in ways they’re uncomfortable with. For someone with a history of trauma, having control over her content and income probably makes a big difference in her mental health.
Sharing the Journey to Olympic Qualifications on OFTV
OnlyFans’ lesser-known SFW product OFTV features professionally produced content starring athletes, artists, and entrepreneurs. Spanish fencer Yulen Pereira‘s OFTV channel follows his path, sharing behind-the-scenes footage. He also offers fencing tips and techniques for other athletes. After suffering a debilitating wrist injury in 2023—especially challenging for a professional fencer—Pereira may have been motivated to invest time and energy into building an OnlyFans following, ensuring he could still earn a living outside of the piste.
OnlyFans allows creators to produce personalized content for fans who pay extra fees in addition to their regular subscriptions. This model works well for athletes, who can use OnlyFans to provide custom content for fans willing to pay for an insider’s view of their training and routines. For athletes who may need to reduce or step away from competition due to injury, it provides a valuable and well-regulated way to stay engaged with the sport they love without risking further injury.
Building a Private Community of Devoted Fans
British diver Jack Laugher is up front that fans can’t expect full-frontal nudity on his OnlyFans page. Still, fans pay $10 (£7.77) each month to support his Olympic career. Laugher likes the community feel of his OnlyFans, saying, “It’s a really nice place to be – when people are willing to give that little tiny bit I know they’re actual fans of me as a diver and what I give.”
For fans of athletes who don’t have the built-in star power of major league figures, an OnlyFans subscription feels like a small price to pay to keep following favorite athletes outside of the Olympics and regional competitions.
As online content creation becomes a more mainstream source of income for athletes, we can expect to see more current and future Olympians take to OnlyFans. These creators are sharing about their lives and their athletic careers on their terms. Whether they’re building 1:1 relationships with their closest fans or publishing training videos for other athletes, they demonstrate determination and creativity.
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