This Wednesday and Thursday, March 29th to 30th the One-Zero Conference will bring the global sports business and sports media to Dublin in a way that has never happened before.
We are excited to be part of what will be a special occasion across three days of activity in Dublin and Limerick. The opening session at the offices of William Fry in the Dublin Docklands will get things off to a flying start and one of the conversations we are eagerly anticipating is with Keily Blair, the Chief Strategy and Operations Officer with Only Fans.
The service has been a real disruptor in the content market, first of all adopted in the adult entertainment space but now increasingly being see by sporting stars and others as a way of connecting to their fan base and delivering content that has a reward for all.
We caught up on a call on a call with Keily in advance of her travelling to find out a little more…
Give us a 10-cent tour of where OnlyFans is in relation to the sports world…
There are no greater fans than sports fans. OnlyFans has a growing number of sports content creators on the platform. In just the past few months we have welcomed athletes like professional MTB rider Lewis Buchanan, pro Golfer Liam O’Neill and heavyweight boxer Derek Chisora to the platform alongside many, many others.
Athletes understand the importance of being able to connect with their fans and OnlyFans offers them a great opportunity to do that while also monetizing the content they produce.
You have built a reputation in another area of entertainment, what was it that prompted sport as another avenue
OnlyFans was always a platform for creators to connect with their fanbase. While our adult content creators were some of the first to see the potential of the OnlyFans platform it was only a matter of time before other genres saw the benefits too.
The sport sector is well suited to the platform because athletes tend to have a fanbase who are willing to pay to see training programmes, behind the scenes footage, training tips and exclusive content they can’t get elsewhere.
While there is no shortage of brand deals for some of the biggest names in sport, its often much harder for those who are less well known to finance their activities.
However, we know that those athletes also often have an incredibly loyal fanbase who are interested in everything they do and with that comes the potential to have an OnlyFans account where you can monetize your content and connect with your fans.
What is the biggest item on your radar for 2023?
I am excited to see how Lewis Buchanan and other OnlyFans creators do in the 2023 season. I’m also particularly interested in seeing the growth and promotion of women’s football in light of the incredible achievements of the Lionesses.
What do you imagine it might be for 2024?
I’m looking forward to seeing more athletes explore alternative ways to connect with their fans and monetise their content including on OnlyFans.
What’s your favourite sporting moment to have witnessed live?
While I’ve been very privileged to see some big sporting moment, my favourite sporting moment continues to be watching my two daughters compete in sports as diverse as swimming, rugby, fencing and gymnastics. They are fierce competitors and I love seeing their dedication and commitment.
And from your childhood?
I grew up in a sports mad household of die hard Man United fans. My lasting memory was the first time I went to Old Trafford and saw Manchester United play.
What are you looking forward to most about coming to Dublin?
Seeing my family.
The opening session will include discussions with Keily of Only Fans, Allison Giorgio of Puma, Gordon D’Arcy and three-time Super Bowl Champion with the New England Patriots Lonie Paxton, all of whom will be networking with attendees after the session.
Then on Thursday we will meet with Arjun Chowdri of the PGA of America, Sam Sadi, the CEO of the Livescore Group, Tom Ryan of the NBA and many more.
