Onlyfans gets on the bobsleigh track Why female athletes are sponsored by an erotic portal

Lisa Buckwitz is sponsored by Onlyfans. While the German Olympic bobsleigh champion is able to cover her high costs, the online company is pursuing a strategic goal by entering the world of top-class sport.

Olympic bobsleigh champion Lisa Buckwitz has a successful weekend behind her: after her Saturday triumph in the monobob, the 30-year-old also won the two-man competition on Sunday in Winterberg, Germany.

At the World Cup opener last December, Buckwitz stood out for another reason: In blue lettering on a black background, directly below the German post, the online platform Onylfans adorned her bobsleigh.

When most people hear the name Onlyfans, they probably think of lots of bare skin rather than the ice channel and runners.

"Onlyfans is like the Instagram for porn"

"Onlyfans is like the Instagram for porn," says media scientist Lisa Andergassen to RBB24. She continues: "You can upload content to Onlyfans that you can't upload anywhere else."

The predominantly sexualized content is hidden behind a paywall. Users have to take out subscriptions to be able to see the creators' photos and videos.

In addition, paid subscriptions give followers the opportunity for personal contact in chats and personalized content.

Lisa Buckwitz does not want to show nude pictures

In addition to the advertising space on her monobob and her two-man bob, Lisa Buckwitz also created an Onlyfans account as part of her sponsorship.

The 2018 Olympic bobsleigh champion has been showing herself in swimwear on Instagram for some time now. She now wants to offer her fans even more on Onlyfans - in other words: more interaction and exclusive insights into life as a competitive athlete.

For 25 dollars a month, subscribers get access to content that is not available on other platforms. "However, there will be no nude pictures," Buckwitz clarifies on RBB24.

Funding from the sponsor Onlyfans is essential for the top German athlete, as it is difficult to find enough sponsors in her marginal sport.

The costs of bobsleigh are high, but Lisa Buckwitz has to finance her team and equipment herself. A set of runners can cost up to 8,000 euros, which makes the support from Onlyfans all the more valuable.

Onlyfans wants to break away from its grubby image

According to media scientist Andergassen, Onlyfans is trying to change its image by sponsoring athletes and move away from its previous grubby image.

The British company wants to become mainstream and distance itself from its direct connection to the sex industry. Entering the world of professional sport could be a step in this direction.

Onlyfans was already planning to remove explicit content from the platform in 2021, but had to row back due to resistance from creators.

Now, sponsoring top athletes could be a new way to break away from the adult industry. In addition to Lisa Buckwitz, other athletes from fringe sports have also signed contracts with Onlyfans.

Lisa Buckwitz wants to fight against prejudice

Onlyfans emphasizes that it wants to support athletes in niche sports in particular, as they often have difficulties reaching a large audience.

Lisa Andergassen sees this as a clear strategy for tapping into new markets and diversifying the business model.

Despite Onlyfans' efforts to move away from its previous image, the platform remains attractive to many users due to its freedom of movement.

Lisa Buckwitz, on the other hand, wants to do away with prejudices and sees Onlyfans primarily as a way to get in touch with her fans: "As a person, you have a lot of prejudices. I would advise many people to simply approach it with an open mind. (...) I think it's great that there are Onlyfans. It makes it possible for me to interact with my fans."

The editor wrote this article with the help of AI.

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