Many brand owners acquired new generic top-level domains (gTLDs) in the 2012 round but have yet to deploy them to their full potential. Others are considering applying for their own internet extension in the upcoming 2026 round but remain hesitant about the investment and operational commitment. Our team includes experts with decades of experience in domain name registries and registrars. We participated in creating multiple dotBrands for leading companies and developed back-end registry platforms.
The business case for a brand TLD has evolved since 2012. Early adopters treated them as defensive registrations, securing the namespace to prevent third-party exploitation. Leading operators now use them as active infrastructure: secure email authentication, phishing-resistant customer communications, structured product and campaign domains, and a signal of digital authenticity that generic extensions cannot match.
A brand TLD creates a controlled namespace at the top level of the DNS that only the brand operator can populate. This structural exclusivity has three strategic dimensions. First, authentication: consumers, partners, and regulators who know that a brand operates exclusively on its brand TLD can use the TLD as a verification signal, providing a structural defence against phishing and impersonation that cannot be replicated under shared TLDs. Second, operational flexibility: the brand operator can create unlimited second-level domains under the TLD for products, campaigns, markets, partners, and internal systems, without competing for registrations or managing renewals across multiple registries. Third, digital identity: in a regulatory environment increasingly attentive to digital provenance (eIDAS, DORA, PSD2), a brand TLD provides a verifiable, institution-controlled namespace that can be referenced in compliance frameworks and external communications.
ICANN's next application window opens in April 2026. The evaluation fee is approximately USD 227,000 per application, and the AGB has expanded to over 200 questions covering technical, financial, and operational requirements. For organisations that deferred the decision in 2012, the 2026 round may represent the last opportunity for a decade or more, as ICANN's historical pattern suggests long intervals between application rounds.
We support brand TLD applicants through the full process: feasibility assessment, string selection and contention risk analysis, registry operator selection, AGB preparation via our PitchZone platform, ICANN submission, evaluation management, and post-delegation operational setup. Our fixed-price engagement model provides cost predictability for what is already a significant investment.
ICANN's evaluation fee is approximately USD 227,000 for the 2026 round. Total first-year costs (including evaluation fees, registry infrastructure, legal and advisory services, and operational setup) typically range from USD 500,000 to USD 1 million depending on the complexity of the application and the chosen infrastructure model. Ongoing annual costs depend on registry volume and infrastructure arrangements.
Yes. ICANN accepts applications for internationalised domain names (IDNs), allowing strings in non-Latin scripts. IDN applications involve additional technical requirements (variant management, script validation) and policy considerations that we address as part of our advisory service.
A brand TLD is a top-level domain operated by the brand owner as a closed registry, providing an entire namespace under the brand's control. A premium .com domain is a single second-level registration under a shared TLD. The brand TLD provides structural authentication, unlimited sub-domains, and namespace exclusivity that a .com registration cannot offer. They serve complementary rather than competing functions in a comprehensive domain strategy.
Not yet, but time is limited. A well-prepared brand TLD application requires 3 to 6 months of structured preparation. Organisations that begin the feasibility process in early 2026 will have adequate time. Those that wait until the application window opens in April 2026 risk being unable to complete the preparation within the submission period.
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