"Three Times the Income Earned During Peak Athlete Years"
Some national athletes participating in the 2024 Paris Olympics have been reported to be using adult content platforms to solve financial difficulties.
AP News recently reported, "Athletes facing severe financial hardship are selling explicit photos on the adult paid content site 'OnlyFans' to maintain their dream of winning gold medals at the Olympics."
The Olympics, the world's largest sports stage, generates billions of dollars in revenue from TV broadcasting rights, ticket sales, and sponsorships. However, most athletes have to resolve their financial issues on their own.
Alicia Newman (Canada), who won the bronze medal in the women's pole vault at the 2024 Paris Olympics. [Photo by Reuters Yonhap News]
According to the media, sports stars like former U.S. male swimming national team member Michael Phelps and U.S. female gymnastics national team member Simone Biles can earn millions of dollars. The majority of lesser-known athletes struggle to cover the costs of competing on the world stage. Even excluding basic living expenses, monthly costs for coaches, physical therapy, training, and equipment can amount to thousands of dollars.
Jack Laugher (UK), who won the bronze medal in men's diving at this Paris Olympics, operates an OnlyFans account where photos of himself in swimwear are uploaded. The account's income comes from monthly subscriptions. He said, "I run OnlyFans because it's a matter of survival."
New Zealand rowing national team member Robi Manson and Canadian pole vault national team member Alicia Newman also operate accounts. Newman, who has about 65,000 subscribers, recently posted a notice on her OnlyFans account about a "special Olympic commemorative sale," offering a discount on the monthly subscription fee. Newman uses a profile photo showing her back wearing only stockings without a top.
Australian diving gold medalist Matthew Mitcham told AP in an interview, "Through OnlyFans, I found financial stability that other funding programs could not provide." Mitcham, who failed to secure sponsors, began uploading semi-nude photos on OnlyFans and earned three times the income he made during his athletic prime.
OnlyFans released a statement saying, "We help athletes cover training and living expenses and provide tools to succeed both inside and outside the arena." Originally, OnlyFans was a platform allowing adult performers to communicate directly with fans, with revenue determined by views. The company takes a 20% commission from earnings and the rest goes to the creators. Categories are divided into NSFW (Not Safe for Work), which refers to typical adult content, and SFW (Safe for Work), which has some exposure restrictions. Athletes reportedly upload content in the SFW category to earn income.
The media pointed out that athletes facing financial difficulties are commodifying their bodies on OnlyFans to earn additional income, which indicates problems in the Olympic funding system.
Rob Koehler, Secretary General of Global Athletic, said, "The Olympic funding model is broken," and criticized, "The International Olympic Committee (IOC) earns more than $1.7 billion annually but does not pay the athletes participating in the Olympics."
He added, "Most athletes can barely pay rent, but IOC, national Olympic committees, and national sports federation officials who oversee sports make money thanks to the athletes. This is modern slavery," he pointed out.
The IOC has taken a cautious stance on athletes earning income through OnlyFans. IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said, "I think athletes are doing what any other citizen can do."
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