Verisign, the company responsible for managing the .COM gTLD, has shared encouraging news for its shareholders and investors. According to a recent update posted on its website, .COM registrations have increased by more than 540,000 from the beginning of the year through February 20. Domain Incite, reporting on this development, notes that in the first quarter of last year, .COM registrations actually declined by over 63,000, despite the fact that this period is traditionally strong for the domain industry. Overall, in 2024, the .COM domain has seen a net loss of 3.7 million domain names.
Given this downward trend, Verisign analysts had anticipated a continued decline in registrations for .COM and .NET (the latter also managed by Verisign), projecting a drop of 0.3 percent to 2.3 percent annually. However, the recent surge in registrations offers hope that these pessimistic forecasts may not materialize.
The increase in registrations may be linked to marketing programs introduced by the registry for registrars. According to Verisign CEO Jim Bidzos, these initiatives have piqued the interest of many companies. Notably, some registrars are already offering customers a 50 percent discount on the first year of .COM domain registration, based on the wholesale price.
Additionally, the Super Bowl factor undoubtedly had an impact. As the championship game of the National Football League (NFL), the Super Bowl is a cultural phenomenon in the United States. Advertising during its broadcast is the most expensive on American television. This year, during the game on February 9, two major domain registrars – GoDaddy and Squarespace – ran advertisements promoting their services. Immediately afterward, .COM domain registrations surged by 186,000.
