YNOT – The monthly subscription model has been a mainstay in the adult Internet business since sites like Cybernerotica.com made it popular in the late years of the 20th Century. Many adult Internet companies rose to prominence on the back of websites that offered members a range of content and interactive services in exchange for a monthly, recurring fee.
A few years ago, online piracy of adult entertainment started to take a big bite out of profits; the decline in sales for sites that relied on selling videos to the masses was not insignificant. New adult consumers had learned that they could usually find everything they wanted online without paying a single dime for the privilege.
Then last year, the Great Recession hit. The adult Internet business, still looking for a solution to piracy, was staggered by the one-two punch of piracy and general economic hardship amongst consumers. The questions on many webmasters' minds were simply what would become of the monthly subscription business model, and would new business models emerge to help restore a struggling industry?
It seems that some adult businesses have decided that when it comes to piracy and consumer frugality, if you can't beat them then give them what they want – more free porn. Industry veterans Jay "XXXJay" Quinlan and "Porno" Dan Leal have partnered to launch StraightDownTheTubes.com – a free adult website whose name seems to poke fun at the YouTube-style piracy sites that have done so much damage to adult entertainment. The site features full length video clips presented in that YouTube style format that will be familiar to consumers.
"When Jay approached me with this idea of going away from the traditional subscription based model and putting our content on the web for free, I thought it made perfect sense," said Leal. "Surfers today want to watch porn for free, so why not give them fresh exclusive brand new scenes to view every single day?”
In the past, common sense said giving away the farm is never good for business. But in a new Internet age, traditional companies are looking for non-traditional answers.
"Rather than continuing to piss in the wind with trying to monetize subscription models, I decided to try something new and slightly drastic," said Quinlan. "This project will change the landscape of exclusive content-based adult websites. I approached Dan because I knew he was open minded enough to try this rather than sit around and complain about falling subscription based revenues like other producers."
It's no secret that when you give away free porn, consumers show up – in large numbers. What isn't known though is whether advertisers can turn a profit by paying for ads on a website that gives away so much for free. Finding advertisers who offer mainstream products or services has never been easy for adult-oriented websites, so the success of StraightDownTheTubes.com will almost certainly hinge on how popular it is with adult sponsors.
“Yes, the important thing is we now have to attempt to monetize the site in every way possible," admits Quinlan, himself an enthusiastic salesman. "We are offering rock-bottom deals on advertising if you lock in the first three months. I am going to take your money and buy more traffic with it anyway. How can you beat that? We are reinvesting your money into your own ads."
