Recently, Fonoimoana announced that she’s joined OnlyFans, and it’s not what you’d think. OnlyFans may have a reputation for being everyone’s favorite naughty little corner of the internet, but that’s not all it is. For Fonoimoana, moving to OnlyFans isn’t so much about scandal as it is the ultimate power move as an athlete who is used to having very little control over their press and earnings.
How so? Well, normally, professional athletes have to rely on winning tournaments, brand deals, and sponsors in order to connect with fans and get a paycheck. OnlyFans allows creators like Fonoimoana to have full control over their earning potential. And more than financial freedom, OnlyFans gives content creators full creative freedom over what they create, when they create it, and how much or how little they engage with fans.
Falyn Fonoimoana isn’t the only professional athlete to join the adults-only platform. Athletes from multiple sports are also showing up on OnlyFans, eager to connect with their fanbase in a whole new way that doesn’t involve a PR professional. Gymnasts, boxers, golfers, and tennis players all have athletes representing their sport on OnlyFans. Paige VanZant, Vito Mielnicki, Isabella Deilert, and even Fonoimoana’s fellow beach volleyball player Hagen Smith have all begun to leverage OnlyFans in a way that allows them to take control of their image, fan engagement, and finances.
Some athletes do share a bit of racy content, but more often than not, they’re sharing training tips, meal preparation content, answering fan questions, and providing their paying fanbase with a behind-the-scenes look at what preparing for an event actually looks like—beyond what we see from the sidelines and newspapers.
While many professional athletes are showing up on social media— got to feed the newsfeed if you want to stay relevant, after all— traditional social media doesn’t pay athletes directly. Not without doing the belly dance for the algorithm, anyway. With OnlyFans? That doesn’t exist, because it’s not algorithmic. When subscribers sign up to see something on OnlyFans, they’re going to be presented with the content they’ve asked for—meaning that the athletes creating content for their fans can count on that subscriber fee instead of having to hope for clicks.
Professional athletics also tends to come with an expiration date as athletes age, and building a paying following on OnlyFans gives athletes the opportunity to future-proof their finances as they look toward forced retirement that creeps ever closer. The allure for fans is there too—if you want more from your favorite athletes, why would you wait for the next tournament when behind-the-scenes access is available now?
Both on the court and off, Fal yn Fonoimoana knows just how to serve. Be it on the court or on your screen, she’s ready to bring you into her world and show you what it takes to do what she does—for a monthly subscription fee.
What are you hoping to see from Fonoimoana’s OnlyFans? Personally, I’d love to see her break down that serve.
