.tv is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for the island nation of Tuvalu.
Except for reserved names like .com.tv, .net.tv, .org.tv and others, any person in the world can register a .tv domain for a fee. The domain name is popular (and thus economically valuable) because it is an abbreviation of the word ‘television’ (other similar ccTLDs are .me, .fm, .am, .cd, .dj and .mu). Such unconventional usage of TLDs
in domain names are known as domain hacks.
Verisign
The domain is currently operated by dotTV, a VeriSign company; the Tuvalu government owns twenty percent of the company. In 2000, Tuvalu negotiated a contract leasing its Internet domain name “.tv” for $50 million in royalties over a 12-year period. The Tuvalu government receives a quarterly payment of US$
1 million for use of the top-level domain.
On December 14, 2006, VeriSign announced an alliance with Demand Media, run by ex-MySpace chairman Richard Rosenblatt to market the .tv Top Level Domain Name (TLD) as the preferred web address for rich media content. “.TV” premium names cannot be transferred to another registrar. Annual Renewal fees for .TV premium names are the same as the initial “Buy Now” registration fee.
.tv Domain Names are available for registration or transfer from:
| Introduced | 1996 |
|---|---|
| TLD type | Country code top-level domain |
| Status | Active |
| Registry | The .tv Corporation (a VeriSign company) |
| Sponsor | Government of Tuvalu |
| Intended use | Entities connected with Tuvalu |
| Actual use | Marketed commercially for use in television or video-related sites; can be registered and used for any purpose |
| Registration restrictions | None |
| Structure | Direct second-level registrations are allowed; some second-level domains such as gov.tv are reserved for third-level domains representing entities in Tuvalu |
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