MMX, registry of the adult domains .XXX, .SEX, .PORN and .ADULT, presented its report for the first half of 2020. Like many registrars and registries earlier, MMX considers this period fairly successful. Its domain name base grew by 31percent over six months, compared with 19 percent over the same period last year. As of the end of June, MMX had 2.38 million names under management.
However, while other registrars and registries directly or indirectly attributed their success to the pandemic and related restrictions, MMX focuses on the negative aspects of the pandemic in its report. Although the earnings from registrations amounted to $7.6 million in the first half-year, MMX expects to report a 5 percent decrease in revenue year-on-year in the final version of the financial performance report.
There are two reasons for this. First, the company has changed its counting methods. The second reason lies in the serious delays of the programs AdultBlock and AdultBlock Plus that MMX launched last year. These programs allow trademark holders to block, without the right of further use, domain names that coincide with their trademarks. One year of protection may cost from $350 to $800 per name. It is easy to understand that most large companies are not fond of seeing their brands in the porn context, and this is why big hopes were pinned on the said programs. But the MMX report states that the revenues from these programs were much lower than expected because of COVID-19. Reporting this news, Domain Incite ironically observes that the logic of these companies may be described by the words: “No sex please, we’re infected.”
