.abc Domain Information
Applicant Full Legal Name
American Broadcasting Companies, Inc.
Legal Establishment
corporation
Parent Company
ABC Holding Company, Inc.
Applicant Address
77 West 66th Street
New York 10023
US
State Jurisdiction
A corporation incorporated in Delaware, U.S.A.
Applicant Website
not available
Applied for gTLD
ABC
Domain Registration Status
Closed
Mission/Purpose of Domain Extension
American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. ("ABC") is applying for the .ABC global top level domain ("gTLD"). ABC will act as the Registry Operator, and outsource Registry Services to Verisign, Inc. ABC plans to leverage relationships with existing partner Registrars to provide 2nd level domain... Read more
American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. ("ABC") is applying for the .ABC global top level domain ("gTLD"). ABC will act as the Registry Operator, and outsource Registry Services to Verisign, Inc. ABC plans to leverage relationships with existing partner Registrars to provide 2nd level domain registration services. ABC will operate a closed gTLD, meaning it will always be the Registrant and not open to third parties to register second level domains. ABC is 100% wholly owned by ABC Holdings, Inc., which is a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company ("Disney"). ABC has the backing and financial strength of Disney. Disney is the premier global entertainment brand, a Fortune 100 New York Stock Exchange listed company, is included in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, and consistently carries an "A" debt rating with Standard and Poors.
The ABC company vision is to "super-serve fans with compelling storytelling, digital and social experiences that connect them with entertainment, news and information they love and desire anytime, anywhere." Acquiring and operating a .ABC gTLD is consistent with and supportive of that vision.
Social media, mobile applications, and emerging innovative technologies are critical for success as ABC continues to expand its business model and reach. Cultivation of new opportunities has proven financially sound for the company as technology and consumer behaviors continue to evolve and expand. As part of a portfolio of diverse investments, ABC continues to fund exploratory business models. One focus area is programming content distributed and marketed over the Internet. Many benefits of securing this gTLD were discussed, some of which are:
1) Improved brand marketing and management
a) Increased online brand visibility
b) Shortened and more easily remembered URL strings (i.e. show.abc or partner.abc)
c) Greater native use in social media sharing
d) Value-add to advertisers and distributors through new co-branding and marketing opportunities
2) Enhanced security, control, and customer trust
a) Additional brand protection through control of activity and content within the gTLD
b) Controlled, customized domain names for affiliates, vendors, and partners
c) Added layers of protection for brands like ABC that are the frequent target of phishing and other types of online attacks.
3) Better control, understanding and use of data, for ABC and its partners
a) Expanded user registration, account management and personalization offers new possibilities to track information about users and their choices
b) Overall better intellectual property data management and reporting
c) Ability to accrue distributor's content
The company has many different ideas in the concept stage about how to use .ABC. Until they are more fully analyzed, it is hard to know how many second level domains will be created. The business plan allows for up to 50, at this time, both from a cost and practicality perspective. There are two primary thoughts on how to deploy and develop the new gTLD. One is to provide original show content. For example, the show "Revenge" might have a REVENGE.ABC domain featuring new and/or promotional show content with an easy-to-remember domain name address. Another likely use is for specific initiative-based or broad brand marketing and content experiences tied to global strategies, new business opportunities, large-scale promotions and marketing events.
ABC has chosen to outsource the registry service operations to Verisign, the premier registry services provider in the marketplace. Their preeminence will provide ABC a level of performance, reliability and protection the brand requires. Technical and business relationships are strong between ABC and Verisign, and with ABC's parent companies.
The business model plans for .ABC to be a net cost to the company. Labor, marketing, general and administrative, facilities and other costs that already exist can be leveraged and priorities adjusted to utilize existing capacity, therefore minimizing incremental costs. In the financial proformas, a conservative approach was taken, pricing both existing and incremental costs related to the gTLD.×
The ABC company vision is to "super-serve fans with compelling storytelling, digital and social experiences that connect them with entertainment, news and information they love and desire anytime, anywhere." Acquiring and operating a .ABC gTLD is consistent with and supportive of that vision.
Social media, mobile applications, and emerging innovative technologies are critical for success as ABC continues to expand its business model and reach. Cultivation of new opportunities has proven financially sound for the company as technology and consumer behaviors continue to evolve and expand. As part of a portfolio of diverse investments, ABC continues to fund exploratory business models. One focus area is programming content distributed and marketed over the Internet. Many benefits of securing this gTLD were discussed, some of which are:
1) Improved brand marketing and management
a) Increased online brand visibility
b) Shortened and more easily remembered URL strings (i.e. show.abc or partner.abc)
c) Greater native use in social media sharing
d) Value-add to advertisers and distributors through new co-branding and marketing opportunities
2) Enhanced security, control, and customer trust
a) Additional brand protection through control of activity and content within the gTLD
b) Controlled, customized domain names for affiliates, vendors, and partners
c) Added layers of protection for brands like ABC that are the frequent target of phishing and other types of online attacks.
3) Better control, understanding and use of data, for ABC and its partners
a) Expanded user registration, account management and personalization offers new possibilities to track information about users and their choices
b) Overall better intellectual property data management and reporting
c) Ability to accrue distributor's content
The company has many different ideas in the concept stage about how to use .ABC. Until they are more fully analyzed, it is hard to know how many second level domains will be created. The business plan allows for up to 50, at this time, both from a cost and practicality perspective. There are two primary thoughts on how to deploy and develop the new gTLD. One is to provide original show content. For example, the show "Revenge" might have a REVENGE.ABC domain featuring new and/or promotional show content with an easy-to-remember domain name address. Another likely use is for specific initiative-based or broad brand marketing and content experiences tied to global strategies, new business opportunities, large-scale promotions and marketing events.
ABC has chosen to outsource the registry service operations to Verisign, the premier registry services provider in the marketplace. Their preeminence will provide ABC a level of performance, reliability and protection the brand requires. Technical and business relationships are strong between ABC and Verisign, and with ABC's parent companies.
The business model plans for .ABC to be a net cost to the company. Labor, marketing, general and administrative, facilities and other costs that already exist can be leveraged and priorities adjusted to utilize existing capacity, therefore minimizing incremental costs. In the financial proformas, a conservative approach was taken, pricing both existing and incremental costs related to the gTLD.×