SAN FRANCISCO — Big changes are in store at Kink.com.
First, film production at its fabled Armory in San Francisco is winding down.
And now Peter Acworth, Kink.com’s founder and CEO, says that artificial intelligence will play a major part in the future of his online BDSM porn empire.
“[Kink.com is] focusing on creating a personalized web experience that uses predictive analysis to know what you want before you know yourself — much as has become the norm outside of porn with Netflix, Amazon, etc.,” Acworth told XBIZ today, just one day after he announced that he was shutting down film production at the Armory.
“The porn business is inherently becoming more analytical and data driven — it was inevitable this was going to happen,” Acworth said. “There is so much content out there that the focus now is on finding what people want as opposed to producing more of it.”
As a whole, Acworth sees the online adult entertainment in a different light in 2017 — one that is lighter in cost for the user.
“I believe the future of the porn business lies in continuing to publish great quality, authentic, exclusive content — but at a reduced rate,” Acworth said.
Noting that, Acworth said he’s attempting to broaden the Kink brand and its content to find more customers around the world.
“We will additionally be opening up our publishing pipeline to third parties to increase the diversity of our offerings,” he said.
As for the decision to move out film production at the Armory, Acworth noted that there was a material conflict by operating the facility as an adult studio and one that is a general entertainment venue.
Acworth purchased the historic 200,000-square-foot building in San Francisco’s Mission District for $14.5 million about 10 years ago.
“The real focus for the Armory as a building is finding other users, and making an event venue that includes all-ages programming, and that clearly conflicted with the porn use,” Acworth said.
“I am extremely excited about this avenue. When I first entered the Armory through the back door, the first thing I saw was the drill court and it became a life goal to resurrect it as a world-class venue.
“I later found that it was once known as the Madison Square Garden of the West,” he said.
With filming ending next month, Kink.com will scatter Kink.com production in other parts of the West — including Southern California, Nevada and parts of the Bay Area.
Pictured: Peter Acworth
