Hosted by Authentic Web and Pitch
Moderator: Matt Serlin
Speakers: Peter LaMantia (CEO, Authentic Web)
Bart Lieben (Founder, Pitch.law)
Introduction
Matt:
Good morning, good afternoon, or good evening depending on where you’re joining from. Thank you for joining today’s webinar: Brand Top-Level Domains Are Back – Why Own a Brand TLD and What You Need to Know, presented by Authentic Web and Pitch.
My name is Matt Serlin. I’m a domain name industry veteran, and I’ll be your host and moderator.
Let’s meet today’s speakers. Joining us is Peter LaMantia, Founder and CEO of Authentic Web — a platform company that unifies domain, DNS, and Brand TLD management into one secure system built for teams that rely on digital infrastructure every day. Peter has long been active in the domain name space and currently serves on the board of the Brand Registry Group within ICANN.
Also joining us is Bart Lieben, Founder of Pitch, a boutique law firm supporting innovative and creative entrepreneurs worldwide. Bart has been active in the domain name industry since the early 2000s, assisting registries in developing launch plans for corporations and brand holders. He was heavily involved in the previous ICANN new gTLD round, managing applications and objection processes for numerous companies.
Today, we’ll explore the value of Brand Top-Level Domains (TLDs), how they support security and trust, and what the ICANN 2026 application process looks like.
Our agenda includes:
- Why Own a Brand TLD
- Getting Started & Execution
- Timelines and Budgets
- Summary and Next Steps
- Q&A Session
Let’s get started. Peter, over to you.
Why Own a Brand TLD
Peter:
Thanks, Matt. I’m excited to be here and appreciate everyone joining.
Today, I’ll walk through why owning a Brand TLD is strategically important. Essentially, you can own anything related to your brand — with a few exceptions (like two-letter country codes or restricted terms) — but the opportunity is vast.
Think of your Brand TLD as an innovation platform. It gives enterprises freedom to create secure, brand‑authentic digital experiences and communicate clearly in their own namespace.
Currently, companies spend a great deal on defensive domain registrations to protect themselves. This has been the reality since the mid‑1990s, and with the upcoming ICANN 2026 round, this issue will only grow. The total cost of maintaining digital identity keeps increasing — defensive registrations, brand protection software, and DNS management continue to pile up.
Owning your own Brand TLD stops that cycle. It centralizes control, reduces long‑term cost, and establishes digital trust within your authentic brand space.
The Shift from Status Quo to Brand Ownership
Today, most organizations rely on multiple registrars and DNS providers accumulated through mergers, acquisitions, or departmental preferences. This fragmented environment creates complexity and risk — unmanaged DNS records, exposed zones, and compliance gaps with security frameworks like ISO or SOC 2.
With a Brand TLD, you control everything within your own namespace. Instead of renting digital space from third parties, you own it — gaining full visibility, automation, and compliance. It’s not only cost‑efficient but also builds customer trust by guaranteeing authenticity.
From a security perspective, this is crucial. You can automate change control, enforce DNSSEC and TLS, and align with frameworks that require consistent DNS governance.
Ultimately, your Brand TLD becomes a trusted digital moat — protecting your customers, your brand, and your network from phishing, spoofing, and cyber risks.
Building the Business Case
Establishing a Brand TLD delivers value in three ways:
- Trust and Authenticity – Customers know they’re interacting with your true brand.
- Security and Compliance – Central control and automation reduce exposure and manual workload.
- Efficiency and Cost Reduction – Consolidating portfolios lowers long‑term operating cost.
Companies can develop a strong ROI by combining these benefits with brand differentiation and marketing impact. HSBC, for example, used short brand URLs that improved engagement rates by 30%.
To get started, identify your business objectives for the next 5–10 years, then align them with new capabilities a Brand TLD offers — service.brand, product.brand, customer.brand, etc.
From there, define a strategy, create a plan, and measure ROI.
Application Process and Timeline
Bart:
Thanks, Peter. Moving into the application process — ICANN recently released the new Applicant Guidebook, which contains over 200 questions. Depending on the type of TLD (standard, community, IDN, or brand), applicants will answer around 175 questions.
Key details:
- Application Window: April to August 2026
- ICANN Application Fee: USD $227,000 minimum
- Preparation: Allow several months to gather documentation, coordinate stakeholders, and finalize use cases
At Pitch, we’ve built a dedicated system — PitchZone — to help organizations manage their applications efficiently. It supports collaboration, version control, and document automation, reducing the manual effort of the old 2012 process.
Together with Authentic Web, we help clients prepare comprehensive, compliant submissions well before deadlines.
Budget Overview
Peter:
You’ll want to plan roughly $300,000 in capital to cover ICANN application fees, preparation, consultation, and internal coordination. Once approved, you’ll also pay ongoing ICANN and backend registry fees (around $20–25K per year, depending on usage).
The long‑term financial logic is straightforward: short‑term investment, long‑term savings through reduced domain sprawl, stronger security, and lower administrative costs.
Deploying Your Brand TLD
Owning a Brand TLD allows you to design your digital footprint for the next decade. Some companies fully migrate existing domains to their new namespace; others phase in over time, launching new initiatives in their brand space while maintaining legacy domains.
Implementation typically involves:
- Internal alignment across IT, legal, and marketing
- A transition or dual‑domain strategy
- Customer communication plans explaining the shift
As Peter noted, this change gives organizations a chance to re‑evaluate and improve their entire digital infrastructure.
Q&A Session
Matt:
Let’s open the floor for questions.
Question: Is there an annual cost to operate a Brand TLD?
Peter: Yes. Expect around $25,000 per year in ICANN fees plus your backend registry provider — typically $20–25,000 — depending on scale.
Bart: That’s right. Overall costs depend on use case complexity. Some brands run thousands of domains, while others maintain fewer than 100.
Question: Do we need a registrar?
Bart: No. For up to 100 domains, you can operate without one. Beyond that, a registrar relationship becomes necessary.
Question: What’s the process to transition existing domains to a Brand TLD?
Peter: It depends on your objectives — whether full migration or partial adoption. You’ll map your current digital footprint and migrate accordingly using robust DNS controls and internal communication.
Question: What are the risks?
Bart: The main risk is overlap — another applicant seeking the same string. That’s rare for true brands. If your application qualifies, approval is very likely.
Closing Remarks
Matt:
Thank you, Peter and Bart, and thanks to all our attendees for the great questions. We recorded this session — feel free to reach out if you’d like a copy or need further support.
Peter:
We appreciate everyone’s participation and look forward to helping you navigate your Brand TLD journey with Authentic Web and Pitch.
