Porn Valley Dispatch: XBiz Awards Finalists

Maybe they're not sexy. Maybe they don't explicitly reference gaping. But the XBiz Awards are a heady time for quivering billing solutions providers and affiliate networks hoping to receive recognition in the adult Internet realm, where porn is a vehicle for business (as opposed to the AVN awards, where the attitiude is more "Can you believe we get paid for this?")

February's XBiz Awards, like the AVN Awards a month before, will cap a convention. The AVN Expo and Awards are in Vegas and the XBiz Forum and Awards will take place in Hollywood. There is considerable overlap, but there are also significant differences between the two events. (Ed. note: The Fleshies, which will be handed out here later this month, have absolutely no relation to either.)

We spoke with XBiz president Alec Helmy about the merging of the video and Internet sides of the adult business. See the XBiz finalists and our interview after the gap. - GP

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Understanding XBiz requires understanding that it started as a reaction to AVN, long the adult business' trade magazine of record. Although AVN catered to the emerging online side of the business with its publication AVNOnline, the Internet is a far more decentralized world when it comes to adult content, and XBiz approached that scene differently.

"Our strength is the knowledge of technology," Helmy said.

The larger studios were founded by people who remember when porn was illegal. Internet companies, younger, smaller, and often more versatile, are more likely to be innovators. This is a generalization that might have some teeth to it.

We asked Helmy if there would be a time when the adult industry wouldn't see a distinction between the Internet and Video ends of the business.

"I think it depends on which side is more eager to partner up in order to survive," Helmy said. "You could have an Internet company that is being affected by all the online competition and content saturation, so they knock on the door of a few mid-size to smaller studios so that they can partner up on a few unique paysites.

"That would give the Internet company an edge over other affiliate programs since their paysite will offer content that is more exclusive."

The pendulum also swings the other way, as it is no secret that DVD sales are down over the past few years.

"You could also have a studio that is facing declining DVD sales and must offset its decreasing sales with a new revenue stream - so they either sign up with a few VODs - or bring a couple of qualified adult webmasters in-house, or they can fully outsource their Internet venture ."

How hot is that??

The company that eventually became XBiz was founded in 1998. February's will be its sixth awards presentation. The finalists are:

Web Retailer of the Year

69AdultToys, AdamEve.com, AdultDVDEmpire, AdultDVDMarketplace.com, FiveStarDVD, Gamelink, JTsStockroom, MALLcom, SexToy.com, WantedList

Web Host of the Year

AdultEUHost, Exmasters, ISPrime, JupiterHosting, NakedHosting, National Net, OC3 Networks, PhatServers, MojoHost, Webair

VOD Company of the Year

AEBN, HotMovies, AdultDVDEmpire, AdultRental, AllAdultChannel, NakedSword, PrivateSpeed, Vixeo, XonDemand

GLBT Company of the Year

AlleyBucks, CyberSocket, GayWideWebmasters, Hyde Park Productions, IntenseCash, JustUsBoys, NakedSword, Pistol Media, PrideBucks, Rentboy

Mobile Company of the Year

Adult Mobile Solutions, CCMediaLive, FunBox, Mobile Bridges, mProvider, PinkSim, Pocket Network, Rimeri, Totalmass, WAAT

Online Community of the Year

AdultInsider, AdultWhosWho, GoFuckYourself, Just Blow Me, Medium Pimpin, SoloGirlBoard, SponsorChat.com, WebOverdrive, WhyFuckYourself.com

Billing (IPSP) of the Year

365Billing, CCBill, Commercegate, DHDMedia, Epoch, Standard Pay

Billing (Merch Service) of the Year

DHDMedia, Durango, Merchant Solutions, NetBilling, Solepay, Standard Pay

Billing (Alternative)

2000Charge, ChargeMeLater, ElectraCash, GXBill, MobillCash.com, NetBilling, NoCreditCard.com, PasswordByPhone, PureVanilla, WTS

("How do we make alternative billing sexy?" I asked Helmy. "They're only sexy when you depend on them," he replied.)

Design Company of the Year

AAA Adult Design, Blue Design Studios, BlueFlyAdult.com, Dickmans Designs, Insane Adult Creations, Mansion Productions, NastyGraphix, Webinc, Wolume Designs, WyldeSites

Novelty Company of the Year

California Exotic Novelties, Doc Johnson, Mr. S. Leather, Sports Sheets, Stockroom.com, Topco Sales

Studio of the Year

Adam & Eve Pictures, Digital Playground, Evil Angel, Metro, New Sensations, Sex Z Pictures, Shane's World, Swank Digital, Wicked Pictures, Zero Tolerance

Up & Coming Studio

Buck Angel Entertainment, Hell House Media, Hush Hush Entertainment, Jules Jordan Video, Naughty America, Pink Visual, Platinum Blue Productions, Platinum Media, Starlight Pictures, Third World Media

Live Video Chat of the Year

6Chats, Cams.com, CamZ.com, ImLive, Interclimax, LiveCamNetwork, LiveJasmin, PrivateFeeds.com, VideoSecrets, WebcamCash

Content Provider of the Year

AdultEuroContent, AlmightyContent, Amazing Content, Dean Capture, GreatSexContent.dk, PicsMasters, SexEntertain, TheContentStore, WebmasterCentral, WorldWideContent

Innovative Product of the Year

AdultWhosWho, AutoBloggerPro, CARMA (TooMuchMedia), Chameleon Submitter, DreamSubmitter, Fleshlight, Protect-X, Unified Stats, VIST (Mansion Productions), Zipped Sites

Crossover Move of the Year

Arrow Productions (Deep Throat), Digital Playground, Mary Carey, Savanna Samson, SugarDVD, Wicked Pictures

Adult Site of the Year

FreeOnes.com, FTVGirls.com, Hegre-Art.com, MattsModels, PornInspector.com, RabbitsReviews, SuzeVideo.com, TheBestPorn, Twistys.com, WantBoobs.com

Up & Coming Web Company

Booble.com, Burning Angel, CapitalBucks, CherryPimps, HushMoney (HoDough.com), Kink.com, NichePay, RevenueCash, SexBankRoll, TrafficGiggolos

Dating Program of the Year

AdultDateLink, AdultFriendFinder, Dating Gold, Eroticy, iFriends, IWantU, LoveDollars, SexSearch, SexyAds, WildMatch

Affiliate Program of the Year

DieselAction, EuroRevenue, FetishHits, HustlerCash, Karups XXX Rewards, LightSpeedCash, Mayor's Money, Naughty America, NeoSexCash, OCCash, PerfectGonzo, QuickBuck, Real-Bucks.com, SlickCash, Smashbucks

Affiliate Network of the Year

BrainCash, CECash, Gammae, Pimproll, PlatinumBucks, PussyCash, SilverCash, TopBucks, TrafficCashGold, WEGCash

(Full discolure: I am a contributor to XBiz, thought I have no say regarding the awards. As far as I'm concerned, they're all winners!)

· "XBiz Announces Finalists for the 2007 XBiz Awards" (xbiz.com)
· "XBiz finalists announced" (gramponante.com)
· AVN Awards (avnawards.com)
· Thumbnail: Crossover award finalist Savanna Samson, just because

Previously: Porn Valley Dispatch Archive