English fast bowler Tymal Mills’ bid to promote his OnlyFans account has been denied as T20 tournament The Hundred setting a new precedent in individual advertising.
Mills, who plays for Southern Brave, announced he joined the adult platform last week and was looking to promote his account while at the crease, sporting the platform’s logo on the back of his bat.
Sponsorships on the front and back of cricket bats has become the norm over the last decade.
But any sponsorship often has to be first cleared by the tournament body. And while that is almost always approved, Mills’ request was rejected by the England and Wales Cricket Board, which flat out banned him from promoting the website.
News.com.au understands the request was denied on the grounds that the cricket body felt it didn’t align with the brand values of ‘The Hundred’.
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OnlyFans is a subscription website known largely for hosting adult content, but Mills insisted his content is “completely safe” and was just a side hustle to supplement his income.
The left-arm quick explained his content would give subscribers “a closer, more personal look into life as a professional cricketer”, stating it is “all about sharing my passion with you in a new way”.
He is also hardly the first sportsperson to go down that route with Aussie athletes, including boxers Ebanie Bridges, Cherneka Johnson and motorsport racer Renee Gracie, donning OnlyFans sponsorships while in competition.
Many athletes have begun to use the platform as an opportunity to grow their fan base and give fans an otherwise unseen glimpse into their lives.
And for some, not only has the subscription-based service seen them make a second income, but it has also allowed them to retire comfortably.
That was the case with former UFC superstar Paige VanZant.
In an interview with Barstool Sports, VanZant estimated she made more money in one day on the subscription platform than she did in her entire fighting career.
“I definitely have. I’d say when I made the switch to OnlyFans, there’s a lot of stuff I’ve done in my career and I’ve been really fortunate my career even outside of the UFC and outside of fighting has been pretty successful,” VanZant said.
“I’ve worked pretty hard in other industries and trying to cross over to more of a mainstream personality. But yes, OnlyFans has definitely been my largest source of income, I would say combined, in my fighting career.
“I think I’ve made more money in 24 hours on OnlyFans than I did in my entire fighting career combined.”
While VanZant shares racy images and videos on the site, in the case of Mills, he says none of his content is explicit, and that it is solely a platform for him to share more about his cricket life, in a similar move to that of Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios, who shared similar material when he joined the platform last year.
“The conversations first started about a year ago, so I read up, held conversations and did my due diligence. I hadn’t quite realised how big the company was,” Mills told the UK Telegraph.
“They’re trying to get into football, get Premier League footballers on the platform. They’re doing well with smaller sports like surfing and skateboarding, individual sports.
“I’m the first cricketer, and they’re trying to get into team sports. It’s ground zero in that regard, and I’m very excited. I want to be brave.”
Mills has been informed he will not be able to display any OnlyFans promotion on his bat or any of his cricket gear, which has left the sporting world divided.
“Good. It is not family-friendly, so shouldn’t be allowed,” one fan wrote in response to the news Mills’ proposal had been knocked back.
While another added: “I’m glad that didn’t get the green light”.
But others didn’t see a valid reason for it not to be allowed, stating it is no different to allowing the advertising of betting companies.
“How is it any different to other sponsors on bats?” one commented.
“OnlyFans isn’t just a website for purely sexual gratification. You can use it and not be affiliated with the porn industry,” another added.
A third wrote: “How is this worse than promoting stuff like gambling, ridiculous decision”.
Despite its success to date, OnlyFans continues to work to shift the public perception and become far more than a site just for subscribers to view X-rated content.
And as Sports stars continue to look to diversify their income sources, more and more begin to join the site.
But the reality is, while it is still largely known as a site full of X-rated content, any move from an athlete or sporting tournament to advertise it will likely still raise more than a few eyebrows.
Originally published as OnlyFans ban leaves sports world divided as cricketer’s promotion move blocked