Porn expo boss: Performers, not companies, drive industry in age of social media
As the porn industry continues its move from DVDS to social media and free websites, entertainers have more say in driving viewer traffic and dictating trends, said the boss of an annual porn convention this week in Las Vegas.
“They’re now monetizing their content, because more tools are available for companies that are producing that content,” AVN CEO Tony Rios said. “They’re essentially using it as an avenue for driving traffic to their sites.”
With almost 35,000 attendees from 35 countries and more than 800 industry entertainers set to participate, the annual AVN Adult Entertainment Expo arrives this week at the Hard Rock Hotel for the seventh consecutive year.
The expo runs through Saturday’s awards show, and admission ranges from $80 for a one-day pass to $1,500 for a four-day VIP ticket. One of five major conventions in the city this week, AVN is a beneficiary of the Hard Rock’s additional 18,000 square feet of convention space built in 2016.
Rios spoke to the Sun about porn’s changing platform, the industry’s newest trends and stars to anticipate at this week’s show:
You spoke last year about the industry’s shift toward tube sites, where content is given away for free. What’s new with that sector of the industry?
Really we’re just seeing a lot of cooperation with performers and the tube sites.