.club, often stylized as .CLUB and sometimes dot-club, is a

top-level domain A top-level domain (TLD) is one of the domain name, domains at the highest level in the hierarchical Domain Name System of the Internet after the root domain. The top-level domain names are installed in the DNS root zone, root zone of the nam ...

(TLD). It was proposed in

ICANN The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN ) is a global multistakeholder group and nonprofit organization headquartered in the United States responsible for coordinating the maintenance and procedures of several dat ...

's new generic top-level domain (gTLD) program, and became available to the general public on May 7, 2014.

GoDaddy GoDaddy Inc. is an American publicly traded Internet Domain name registry, domain registry, Domain name registrar, domain registrar and web hosting company headquartered in Tempe, Arizona, and incorporated in Delaware. GoDaddy is the world's fif ...

is the

domain name registry A domain name registry is a database of all domain names and the associated registrant information in the top level domains of the Domain Name System (DNS) of the Internet that enables third party entities to request administrative control of a d ...

for the string.

Acquisition and promotion

In June 2013, .Club Domains, LLC acquired the .club gTLD through a private auction after raising $7 million from 27 individual investors. Colin Campbell, the company's

chief executive officer A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...

, declined to reveal the final auction price, citing confidentiality agreements. .club was the first new gTLD acquired via private auction. Unsuccessful applicants competing for the gTLD were

Donuts A doughnut or donut () is a type of pastry made from leavened fried dough. It is popular in many countries and is prepared in various forms as a sweet snack that can be homemade or purchased in bakeries, supermarkets, food stalls, and franch ...

and the Merchant Law Group LLP.

Success

According to The Domains, "Those now using a web address ending in .club include brands, celebrities, sports figures, innovative entrepreneurs and startups, associations, and clubs around the globe... tens of thousands of clubs, business and individuals are actively using a .club address for their web presence, from Rotary Clubs, to school clubs, to passionate bloggers." Prominent individuals using the extension include rapper

50 Cent Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and television producer. Born in Queens, a borough of New York City, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 1996. In 1999–2000, ...

, professional basketball player Tyler Johnson, and Indian cricket star

Virat Kohli Virat Kohli (born 5 November 1988) is an Indian Cricket, international cricketer who plays One Day International, ODI cricket for the India national cricket team, national team and is a former Captain (cricket), captain in all formats. He is a ...

References

External links

*
.Club Signs Registry Agreement with ICANN
by Michae Berkens (November 11, 2013), The Domains
Canadian-backed .club domains getting snapped up by 50 Cent, Demi Lovato
(August 13, 2014), CTV News

(August 19, 2014), ''South Florida Business Journal''
From Glee.club to Fight.club: Why one word may be worth millions on the Internet
by Rick Spence (November 17, 2014), ''Financial Post''
How Colin Campbell (Dot Club) Raised $7million in 30 Days
by Raymond Hackney (March 9, 2015), The Domains {{Generic top-level domains Internet properties established in 2014 Club

Acquisition and promotion

Success

See also

References

External links