The program is owned by Manhunt.net co-founder Larry Brasile. But the two companies are otherwise separate entities, OnTheHunt webmaster Gary Blumenthal told XBIZ.
In recalling OnTheHunt’s origin, Blumenthal noted that every day thousands of men are meeting for sex via meetings on Manhunt.
“We thought it would be really amazing to capture these hookups as they happen,” he said. “We wondered if members would actually be interested in having their private sex lives filmed.”
According to Blumenthal, they initially launched with “a very small banner campaign” that was up for less than a week.
“In that short time, hundreds of guys applied. And we just went from there,” he said.
“We are able to use the Manhunt name and logo, as well as have access to the Manhunt members, since both companies are owned by the same person,” he added.
Blumenthal said about 90 percent of the amateur models are actual Manhunt members, while the remaining performers are “boyfriends or fuck buddies of the Manhunt members.”
Some of the vignettes have a pro/am twist with such established stars as Caesar, Jeremy Hall, Collin O’Neal and Matthew Rush manning the camera.
Blumenthal said the appearance of known erotic idols behind the camera is a marketing hook that serves the dual purpose of relaxing and/or “motivating” first-time performers.
A new vignette debuts weekly with extras that include outtakes, interviews and added footage.
Also, Manhunt.net sponsors HIV/AIDS awareness programs, so OnTheHunt.com content must be safer-sex product.
In a separate interview, Blumenthal cited fan devotion to amateur websites such as XTube.com. He said porn consumers are hungry for something less polished and fantastical than can be found in traditional gay adult films.
He notes even popular video-on-demand sites such as CorbinFisher.com and RandyBlue.com typically feature unattainable straight men.
OnTheHunt.com offers a viable alternative in a niche ripe for exploitation, Blumenthal said.
"Traditional porn is surreal and people are ready for real," he said.
The affiliate program was designed specifically for gay webmasters, the company said. It includes “a huge variety of promo materials: video clips, banners, buttons, hosted galleries and photos.”
Affiliates are entitled to a 50 percent revshare and 50 percent of rebills.