The Internet is changing with with the expansion of the domain name space from 22 to 1300+ gTLDs. Watch this brief slideshow to learn the chronological history of the Top Level Domains (TLDs) and how they will affect branding and digital marketing in the near future.

1. THE TOP LEVEL DOMAIN STORY
THE DOMAIN EXPANSION WILL IMPACT DIGITAL MARKETING
AND BRAND IDENTITY MANAGEMENT FOREVER
Corporate Domain Registrar, Unlocking Brand TLD Innovation

2. 1985
SYMBOLICS.COM
THE FIRST
DOMAIN IS
REGISTERED.

3. THE GENERIC +
SPONSORED TOP
LEVEL DOMAIN
SPACE EXPANDS
TO 22.
1985 - 2013
Generic TLDs:
.com, .net, .org etc.
Sponsored TLDs:
.tel ,.aero, .museum etc.

4. COUNTRY TLDS
PROLIFERATE, OPERATED
UNDER THE OVERSIGHT OF
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.
THERE ARE
APPROXIMATELY 255 LIVE
TODAY:
.US, .UK, .DE, .CN, .CA …
1985 - 2015

5. DOMAIN
DEREGULATION:
ICANN IS FORMED AS THE
OVERSEER OF INTERNET
NAMES AND NUMBERS.
1998

6. GROWTH OF DOMAINS REGISTERED
21
45
200
314
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
2000 2005 2010 2015
DOMAIN
REGISTRATIONS
YEAR
Domains Registered in Millions

7. 2007
ICANN
APPROVES THE
TOP LEVEL
DOMAIN
EXPANSION
PROGRAM.

8. ORGANIZATIONS
MAKE A DECISION
TO APPLY FOR ONE
OR MULTIPLE NEW
TLDS.
2011

9. 1,930 NEW TLD
APPLICATIONS ARE
SUBMITTED TO ICANN
OF WHICH 1,400 ARE
UNIQUE EXTENSIONS.
2012

10. “ARE YOU CRAZY? THE INTERNET IS
CHANGING. GOOGLE HAS TO BE A
PART OF THAT!"
Larry Page, Google Co-Founder
GOOGLE APPLIED FOR 101 NEW TLDS

11. 600+ 619
59 113 13
0
175
350
525
700
Generic Brand Geographic IDN Community
#Applications
TOTAL NEW TLD APPLICATIONS BY TYPE

12. 600
+
595
600
605
610
615#Applications
GENERIC TLDS
Generic TLDs are
generally open for public
registration with or
without restrictions:
.tech, .club, .news, .mom,
.tickets, .homes, .boats,
.wine, .money, .life

13. 619
610
615
620
625
630#Applications
BRAND TLDS
Brand TLDs are exclusive
domain name spaces
where only the owning
brand can register domain
names:
.google, .barclays, .nike,
.bmw, .apple,.microsoft,
.jpmorgan, .fox,
.calvinklein

14. 59
50
55
60
65
70#Applications
GEOGRAPHIC TLDS
Geographic TLDs define
regions or cities. They
may be restricted to
residents or businesses
from those jurisdictions. :
.nyc, .paris, .london,
.tokyo, .bejing,
.melbourne, .miami,
.barcelona

15. 113
105
110
115
120
125#Applications
INTERNATIONALIZED DOMAIN NAMES
International Domain
Names (IDNs) are non-Latin
script domains such as
Arabic, Mandarin or other
scripts:
.天主教, ストア, .‫,ﺷﺒﻜﺔ‬ 香格
里拉, .中信, .онлайн

16. 13
0
6
12
18
24
30
#Applications
Community TLDs must
engage support from
organizations of the
community they represent:
.bank, .insurance,
.pharmacy, .ski, .reit
COMMUNITY TLDS

17. FROM 22 TO 1,300+
THE GENERIC + SPONSORED TLD SPACES
ARE EXPLODING FROM 22 TO 1,300+

18. Arabic for “web/network"
• .онлайн Cyrillic for “online"
• .сайт Cyrillic for “site"
• .游戏 Chinese for "game(s)"
2013
THE FIRST NEW TLDS
ARE DELEGATED TO
THE INTERNET.

19. BRAND TLD
next100.bmw home.microsoft
home.barclaysdomains.google
2015 - 2016
BRAND TLD USE CASES

20. BRAND TLD
bigmac.rocks viacom.tech
hyundai.newsgeneralmotors.green
2015 - 2016
NEW TLD USE CASES

21. 2016
NEW TLD REGISTRATIONS
REACH 16 MILLION AS OF
Q1, 2016.

22. CONTACT US TO LEARN HOW YOUR
BRAND CAN INNOVATE IN THE NEW TLD
ERA … INFO@AUTHENTICWEB.COM
AUTHENTICWEB.COM
Corporate Domain Registrar, Unlocking Brand TLD Innovation