Playboy has relaunched its magazine as a digital-first publication to rival OnlyFans offering an “elevated,” “safe,” and “exclusive” alternative.
Instead of the Playboy bunnies of old, readers will get Playboy “creators” who will post both adult and non-adult content on their pages, give subscribers exclusive access to their lives, and grace the magazine’s online covers. It will allow the creators to build a base of paying subscribers as well as have access to the main magazine.
Internet personality Amanda Cerny is the first creator to grace the digital mag’s cover and can be seen in a metallic bikini straddling an orange phallic object.
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Cerny had previously been a creator on Playboy’s beta platform, “Centerfold” and has reportedly made around AU$1.5 million. The company launched Centrefold in December 2021 with Cardi B as a spokeswoman for “creative freedom, artistic expression, and sex positivity.”
Playboy will be dropping the Centrefold name as it launches the main digital magazine. The main difference between OnlyFans and Playboy is that while anyone can become an OnlyFans creator, Playboy creators will have to apply to be on the platform and be accepted by its editorial team.
“Our Playboy creator platform is the Playboy magazine for the 21st century,” the company’s chief brand officer Rachel Webber said. “We’re putting the power of content creation in the hands of the creative community and giving them the tools to interact with and monetize their fanbases directly.”
Cerny said that joining the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Dolly Parton, and Kate Moss on the cover of Playboy was a “dream come true.”
“A Playboy Creator is someone who is able to embrace their creativity, their sexuality and freely and unapologetically express themselves. I can’t wait to share more of my journey with exclusive behind-the-scenes content with my fans on my Playboy channel,” she added in an Instagram post.
Playboy’s new platform does share many features with OnlyFans. Users can subscribe and pay to view adult and non-adult content and will be able to message the models — all while getting special “access” to their daily lives.
Playboy CEO Ben Kohn said he hopes its creator platform will disrupt the current creator economy “the same way Playboy magazine shook up the publishing industry nearly 70 years ago.”
