Registrar could take a big chunk of back end services business for new top level domain names.
Last week new TLD consultancy Minds + Machines announced flat rate registry services pricing of $100,000 per year. Apparently this is the first time there’s been “transparent” pricing in the registry business, although the pricing doesn’t apply to super-generic top level domains (i.e. ones that get a lot of volume).
Although this might lay it out on the table a bit for incumbents like Neustar and Afilias, a much bigger shakeup would be Go Daddy entering the race.
Think about it. One of the big things that larger registries pitch is that they can help you get your domains on Go Daddy and other registrars. Why not package that into one? Use Go Daddy as the registry and get guaranteed shelf space on GoDaddy.com, which registers half of all new domain registrations.
It could even be integrated with a pay-for-performance shelf space idea.
There are existing anti-trust concerns that could limit registry-registrar cross ownership for existing TLDs such as .com, but I don’t think this would come into play here for two reasons. First, it would be for new TLDs only. Second, Go Daddy wouldn’t be the applicant for the new TLDs. It would just provide the back end registry services.
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