Speaking yesterday to Reuters, the 34-year-old said he’d relied on his OnlyFans income to help keep his Olympic dreams alive.
“I get more than double what I would be on otherwise as an athlete. Read into that what you will, but I am making more from OnlyFans than I am from rowing at this stage,” he said.
“The fact that I’m gay, I have the gay following and the audience already, and I’m slightly leaning into that. I wouldn’t say it’s for everyone, (but) for other athletes, there’s definitely an opportunity there,” he said.
Asked what kind of content he put behind the OnlyFans paywall, Manson did not want to give too much away.
“Artistic nudes – I don’t want to say too much more than that, I think people need to subscribe if they want to know what’s exactly on there,” he said.
Read more on www.reuters.com. Find Robbie Manson’s ONLYFANS HERE and follow him on Instagram
Many athletes at the Paris Games have companies and individuals that sponsor them personally, but sports like rowing have to compete for that money with more high-profile competitors in more glamorous events.
Funding from Rowing New Zealand covers Manson’s training costs, but he said that he needed to find other sources of income and the governing body has no problem with how he is doing so.
“I have a few friends that have supported me, but I don’t have any big personal sponsors or anything – the team obviously has their sponsors, but I’ve never had an issue with that or Rowing New Zealand,” he explained.
“I guess the people at Rowing New Zealand, the bosses if you like, they’re aware that this is making a huge financial impact and helping me get to where I want to go, and they understand that we’re not highly-funded as well. It’s great, I haven’t had any issues.”
Manson said he would encourage other athletes in a similar situation to explore the opportunities offered by paywalled content, especially of the more revealing variety.
“There is a market, I think, for everyone – you’ve got to already have some sort of an audience, and I guess a point of difference, and you’ve got to be willing to tell everyone if you want to do it,” he said.
“I wouldn’t say it’s for everyone, but I think I’ve just been very lucky to have the opportunity there, and make the most of it.”
