.tv Been thinking heavily past couple weeks big boys respond if you wish or anyone else

[jeffoverman]

Hi

Just did a post and got me thinking some

We have a diverse group here. Newbies in .tv like me, people flipping things, people parking .tv names, people giving up on .tv and going .com or .net, people hedging there bets there bets with e keyword, I keyword, channel, channels, keyword tv.tv, and the gem of the group just they keyword

Seems everyday I am thinking this pre pricing factor, seeing some geo owners cash strapped with there big yearly expenses and etc

I know a few key geo owners here by what there doing, hear things outside of thread and etc. I am learning everyday and I love what I am doing in this area and future direction. In fact I may sell my company, not for much and go after what my heart is telling me to do. Eccomerce. And .tv area
Questions

1. If your yearly renew expense yearly is over 20k a year, do you have partners, silent investors, angels, VC money money

2. If you were to persue this again would you continue to do what your doing with yearly fees

3. Are you self funding your operation and development?


4. Are you seeing traffic on your .tv names and type in traffic. For everyone to answer.

5. Why did you invest in .tv names?

6. There are a few people combing things and are you happy with that?

I love hearing from geo people and people that have a good reputation here and people listen to or respect them

Me personally I am self funding this for time being majority of my names parked and seeing some nice traffic and clicks coming inn the past couPle weeks. I have development going on but got delayed a tiny bit. I keep weighing out the capital idea being a business owner myself but for the most part I am happy. I don't need to report to anyone and self fund things on my own. It may take longer to get things up and there are many downsides to this but many upsides as well.

The thing I question is do I slowly get into the geo space or pay the 300 to 1000 yearly expense on 1 name. Right now I am happy I don't have that, I can sleep at ease and not as stressed or over extended. Or seek faimly money or private money. When I get to beta and see more traffic and platform will cross that bridge when it comes

I am just curious on what the big boys care to share and experienced .tv domainers.

Due to questions, revealing to much or afraid your saying to much about investors, do you regret it, or having other geo owners knowing to much or thread people please use your own judgement. I don't mean to offend you. Things I been thinking about the past few weeks, platforms and etc. I may invest in a pre domain name next month be the first one. Experiement.

Thanks in reading and taking the time to respond.

 

[equity78]

Well certainly Geo.tv is not the only play in .tv and if you do not have a plan for Geo.tv development I would not take outside money. I think you have to assess yourself first.

1) What are my strengths ?
2) What do I have an above average knowledge or expertise in?
3) How long can I go without earning an income if I try doing this for a living?
4) If you have a partner or people you support How long can they go with this uncertainty before divorcing or leaving?
5) Who are the leaders in the field I want to go into and what will I bring new to the table?
6) Does anyone need what I want to provide ?
7) How much money can I put into this venture and can I handle failure both financially and emotionally?

You may think 4 is a fantasy, but I know 3 people getting divorced for one sole reason and that is DOMAINS.

 

[Makis.TV]

After regging a lot tv domains and some premiums of $500,$200 and $1750 i can surely say for question number 2 that if i tried again on tv domains i would reg just more LL.tv's for $1000 and even more $500 premiums focused more on geo.
I would make less normal reg fee registrations so i could save money on premiums.
Now i own only the tv domains i really like plus 3-4 more generic that sound better with tv after them.

In a few words my mistake was not handling effectively my money.
I made some money back from selling tv domains and turned down some offers for others, now its time to hold and wait. Developement is not an option for me.

3. I m self funding my tv reg fees by my other online incomes.
4. i see some type in traffic but can get it monetised easily except for adult
5. i invested on tv domains because i saw it as a big oppurtunity to buy and sell domains they i want to and not the way the market wants. Less interested means more free ground for me to establish myself into this industry.


I could only wih to get some money so i could develope on of my premiums or one of my generic tv;s.
Its a good time to do this.

ps: my premiums will be renewed forever or sold, i wont let ANY of them to drop.

 

[equity78]

No VC firm is interested in little amounts such as $20,000 so you need to find an sba loan or a family/friend loan.

Geo.tv got hot and everyone loves it but it is far from a slam dunk, the market was fueled plain and simple by one man Local Experts. Yes before other people chime in others owned some geo.tv but they were regging them not paying $16,000 for a domain like MyrtleBeach.tv. Local Experts IMO has done alot for the Geo.tv market. Others have followed his lead. Prior to his move into Geo.tv there were no worthwhile aftermarket sales in 2004,2005,2006

 

[Steven]

I'm investing in .TV because I can get good domain names that I cannot get with .COM.
I also have several ll.tvs.
How many people can get good 2 letter .com of their choice for a reasonable price?

With the media websites on the rise, I believe .TV is becoming more and more attractive, and you can use it as a branding feature for your name if/when you develop your videos/media websites.

As for hand registrations, I spend hours in searching for quality names and research.
I think of ways to develop the name before registering it.

I'm funding all .TV related by myself at the moment, but I'll be partnering up with few investors soon.

I really like where .TV is heading so far, and I'm in the process of purchasing a name in .COM from the secondary market to redirect to the same name in .TV as I'm sure people will also type in .COM even if .TV site is fully developed and marketed.



I'll make an analogy in which anyone can freely agree/disagree upon.

There's .com and there's .tv

.com is like buying a real estate in the best area where the market value is only going up.
.tv is like buying a real estate in a region that is currently under heavy construction (much like dubai - I may be pushing it on this one). It'll be years before completion, but once it is complete, many people will want a piece of the .tv pie.
The ones that get in now will come out as a winner.
It is also up to us to make the region very attraction for the people to invest/live in. We have to consider ourselves as one of the main developers as many of us have premium names.

 

[localexperts]

Geo.tv got hot and everyone loves it but it is far from a slam dunk, the market was fueled plain and simple by one man Local Experts. Yes before other people chime in others owned some geo.tv but they were regging them not paying $16,000 for a domain like MyrtleBeach.tv. Local Experts IMO has done alot for the Geo.tv market. Others have followed his lead. Prior to his move into Geo.tv there were no worthwhile aftermarket sales in 2004,2005,2006

Geo is not a slam dunk and if I wanted VC money; I could have it.

Nothing will ruin a good business plan like a good VC.

I apply these principles to business
http://www.chinapage.com/sunzi-e.html

they have served me well.

 

[TheWatcher]

I owned many premium names which I can't afford for .com (maybe). I continue to develop in .TV area, some in media, geo and live streaming. I hope live streaming will attract more viewers in the future so I can use the advertising part.

Self funded. I have a full time IT and consulting work to fund my project. If I need extra money, I go to my .com .net and other extension to produce what I need.

Regards,
em

 

[benzdorf]

1) What are my strengths ?
2) What do I have an above average knowledge or expertise in?
3) How long can I go without earning an income if I try doing this for a living?
4) If you have a partner or people you support How long can they go with this uncertainty before divorcing or leaving?
5) Who are the leaders in the field I want to go into and what will I bring new to the table?
6) Does anyone need what I want to provide ?
7) How much money can I put into this venture and can I handle failure both financially and emotionally?

You may think 4 is a fantasy, but I know 3 people getting divorced for one sole reason and that is DOMAINS.

1. & 2. total beleife in dotTV and long Time videographer and branding Consultant..And grew up in New York watching My family make millions in real-estate and how they did it..

3. & 4. I have a side job touring with a # of bands as a videographer that keeps a lil cash around although i have recently had a dotTV devourse and has subsequently cost me more financilay & mentaly than I anticipated, However I see and understand the future of dotTV and will see it to the very end or beginning depending how you look at it.

5. The leaders are still to be discoverd.

6. This I know and hedging my bet >. With videography and editing costs affordable to the main stream, sales of all products from cars to music to real-estate to widgets are moving towards moving images & animated sales and dotTV is the perfect forum.

7. Everything..ill expalin..I dont have a 401 K plan and this my best bet on a way to retire comfortably..

 

[localexperts]

5) Who are the leaders in the field I want to go into and what will I bring new to the table?

5. The leaders are still to be discoverd.

Actually if you .TV domains is in a vertical, then there are existing leaders you will have to deal with.

For example, any wedding .TV has to deal with theKnot, WeddingWire, AllWedding, Wedding Solutions, Wed Alert - the five largest online wedding networks. TheKnot is the leader in this space.

In Home, Servicemagic, HGTV, Homegain, and Homestore (although Homestore and ForSaleByOwner don't have as much traffic as you think - I've been a partner with both - so I have some idead based on the impressions they gave us that jives with the numbers I get from traffic services). IMHO Home sits wide open without a clear leader!

In GEO, Associated Cities and CitySearch.

So there are leaders.

 

[johntv]

Hi Jeff,

Here are my answers

1. If your yearly renew expense yearly is over 20k a year, do you have partners, silent investors, angels, VC money money
My yearly renewal is around $50k, mainly due to de.tv, e.tv and some expensive GEO's, as well as 21 LL.tv's. Self funded, no VC money involved.

2. If you were to persue this again would you continue to do what your doing with yearly fees
Maybe I would pursue for more 'premium' names with non-premium prices (like Motels.tv for example) in the aftermarket, but I would not change much. Patience is everything here, so I like to wait at least till 2010, although I would not let a good selling opportunity pass by.

3. Are you self funding your operation and development?
Yes, except with names I have in coop.

4. Are you seeing traffic on your .tv names and type in traffic. For everyone to answer.
Yes, although slowly, but definetely on the rise.

5. Why did you invest in .tv names?
Like Ray (Equity), Mr. Domainman and many others here say, this was / is the only extension with lots of potential (many .tv sites being advertised already), where it was / is still possible to register premium names, which are totally out of reach in .com. I have choosen a 'strategy' of buying mainly names which are 6 or even 7 figures if it was in .com, taken for granted the high renewal fee.

6. There are a few people combing things and are you happy with that?
Yes, I have a few names together with James (Millers) and with Bob (Stoneroses), although majority is not combined.

Overall, I see .tv as a high risk, high potential extension, where development is king. Although even without development, the return on (premium) .tv names will be worth it anyway in my opinion. For me, the main reason for development is to try to get more visitors and make enough to pay for the renewal, although development is also something I really like doing.

Agree with OnSpot, also my premiums will be sold or developed, wil not drop any of them as I'm happy with all and have carefully selected the ones I have now.

 

[dreamscometrue]

Nice thread! (you guys are pulling me in the NamePros world, against my better judgement)



...without saying too much or giving away any "underground info", I will say this.

I agree LocalExperts has pushed the GEO.tv space...no questions asked, but if you do your research there are a handful of parties that have directly enhanced the supply and demand. I think many of you would be surprised if you had the lists, (as I do) of actual owners of ALL GEO domains around the world. There are about 6-8 major players in this space. As I have mentioned several times, some people have the vision, others don't. Others have deeper pockets...or connections etc.

Prime example: Look at these facts:

Number = Rank of City by U.S. Population 2006:

19) Baltimore.TV = LandmarkCommunications.com!
30) OklahomaCity.TV = Oklahoma City Chamber
54) Anaheim.TV = Anaheim Orange County Visitor Center
72) Glendale.TV = City of Glendale GTV6
89) ChulaVista.TV = City of Chula Vista
95) Modesto.TV = City of Modesto
113) Richmond.TV = LandmarkCommunications.com!
182) CoralSprings.TV = City of Coral Springs

45) Tulsa.TV ...also owns Bellevue.TV
22) Boston.TV ...also owns Columbus.TV
Macon.TV is owned by it's ABC local station!!!
HamptonRoads.TV...same situation!
PortlandMaine.TV...even has a commerical radio and news contract in the making!

IMHO, .tv has ALREADY MADE HUGE leaps in the past 12 months...to those who argue type in traffic...I think that is a "scape goat" to the reality that those folks missed the boat, again. It will come...who would have guessed BoiseIdaho.com at $175,000...? or even BajaCalifornia.com at $95,000...?

Premium .tv domains should have premium prices. If LasVegas.com is generating 8 million dollars a year...then is it really that crazy for LasVegas.TV to be asking $1,000,000 for his domain name?!? The answer is NO. People fail to remember the sale of Vegas.tv for $350,000 a few years back. What about China.tv for $100k?! or Golf.tv for $600k? RealEstate.com is worth millions...but I personally think RealEstate.TV will be more valuable at some point, IMHO! Some people may call LocalExperts crazy for paying what he did for MyrtleBeach.TV...but again, there have been several x,xxx and xx,xxx and even some xxx,xxx GEO domain sales that have had NDA's and never made a public splash, believe me...and much more of this to come.

I will say this until I am blue in the face...Boston.com, Cleveland.com, Cincinnati.com, Miami.com, Jacksonville.com, if these are owned an operated by the major local daily newspaper companies...what makes you think these folks aren't getting nervous about .tv? For that matter, how can anyone suggest any of the city.com owners aren't getting nervous? The fact is, in the city.com world, there are three major players that have some great names and deep pockets...this is exactly why I am so interested in the GEO.tv space. Take a look at AssociatedCities.com to fully appreciate and understand the GEO space.

Boulevards New Media
Castello Cities Internet Network, Inc.
Information Centers, Inc.

...However, if you do the research it is quite interesting to see the sites themselves. Example: The legal battle with Vegas.com :VS: LasVegas.com in court, which held a $12,000,000 buyout price tag for LasVegas.com…this speaks for itself. The point is, these city.com names have 2 decades of "brainwashing" the “.com” phrase into everyone’s mind. This will be a permanent fixture in millions of peoples minds. HOWEVER, the good news and "vision" behind .tv is that things change and I personally believe we are at mile marker 5 of 500,000 in terms of value. People are learning more and more about the internet, as it relates to domain names, revenue channels and most importantly OPPORTUNITY LOST. The FACT is, GENERIC GEO domains will be a success. Hopefully, each and every owner does there part in branding, promoting, advertising, selling, developing...the .tv names. This will dramatically enhance the value and it will pull more people into this arena.

In closing, I think everyone is so excited about .tv and we need to realize there are fundamental steps that will take time! Give it a couple years...and buckle your seatbelt. Type in traffic will continue to go up, month by month, year by year...NOTHING HAPPENS OVERNIGHT. You will continue to see .tv registrations and resales and as more people begin to understand the internet, video, downloading/uploading and social networking, these 2006 and 2007 prices will be a joke.

HIGH RISK; HIGH REWARD...



NY

 

[jeffoverman]

Interesting point equity. I knew local had a nice in .tv but didn't know exacly how that was formed.

Some amazing posts here.

Keep them coming and other players!

I am leading in sit back and watch all this and learn more today.

wow...johntv and others have done an amazing write up on things.

keep them coming........now you guys are making me think more as I am avoiding my wife being around lol as i ponder my thoughts with a nice smoke outside and a cup of starbucks coffee-3 shots espresso.

Keep them coming...Again I want to state If you dont feel comfortable in not answering specific traffic factors and etc, please dont.. I see this eventually coming-hope I am wrong but if it was in the mobi forum it would have happened by now-dont knock another domainers name....TV FORUM IS THE FIRST CLASS GROUP AND I AM ALWAYS ON HERE.KEEP IT COMING

 

[johntv]

...think many of you would be surprised if you had the lists, (as I do) of actual owners of ALL GEO domains around the world. There are about 6-8 major players in this space...
...there have been several x,xxx and xx,xxx and even some xxx,xxx GEO domain sales that have had NDA's and never made a public splash, believe me...and much more of this to come.

You seem to know a lot about the .tv world and .tv GEO sales!
Interesting times ahead for us all

 

[localexperts]

Three GEO owners have partnered together:

Poodleman with MCB.TV, SKG with AreaSteam.TV, and LiveStream.TV are partnered.

So

DENVER.TV
COLORADOSPRINGS.TV
OAKLAND.TV
MINNEAPOLIS.TV
HOUSTON.TV
SANANTONIO.TV
FORTWORTH.TV
DALLAS.TV
JACKSONVILLE.TV
SALTLAKECITY.TV
SCOTTSDALE.TV
MESA.TV
STPETERSBURG.TV
PALMSPRINGS.TV

is all under one technology and syndication umbrella. http://www.dallas.tv

 

[gericsb]

Although I have nowhere near the experience or insight of the other .tv experts here. I got into .tvs because of a few key trends I noticed:

1) Web moving towards heavy video
2) All the TV channels going to .tv (BIO.tv, SCiFi.tv etc.)
3) Availability of one-word generics at the time I got into .tv domains (2 years ago)

I was able to purchase generic domains names-some of which I though should be premiums (I know many disagree w/me) for reg fee (i.e. I own invite.tv, texting.tv, geometry.tv etc. etc. etc. and on and on all 1-word generics, which are now starting to get traffic)

4) I was able to get many Spanish versions of premium .tvs but because they are in Spanish they were not premium

 

[dreamscometrue]

This is the breakdown of OWNERS of PURE "CITY.TY" within the TOP 258 cities in the "USA", all of which have populations over 100,000 people.

For respect, I will not post the names and information of each.

Owner #1: 27/258
Owner #2: 20/258
Owner #3: 17/258
Owner #4: 8/258
Owner #5: 7/258
Owner #6: 7/258
Owner #7: 6/258
Owner #8: 4/258
Owner #9: 3/258
Owner #10: 2/258
Owner #11: 2/258
Owner #12: 2/258

I believe this list to be 100% accurate, (several are owned by one company or party)but things may have shifted since yesterday.




NY

 

[localexperts]

I prefer MSA as a benchmark, not city size. Cincinnati is relatively small as a city, but due to annexation laws is confined to 300,000 people. However its reach is 2.1 million.

At the same time Lubbock, TX is 230,000 pop with zero metro area.

Most marketing and ad agencies use DMA data which is closer to MSA data.

In fact, this list is almost a mirror image of our traffic footprint
http://wireless.fcc.gov/wlnp/documents/top100.pdf

 

[dreamscometrue]

I agree GP, I have several forumals of this info, population just seemed to be the eaisest way to study, organize and post the info.




NY

 

[jeffoverman]

lets try to keep to orginal post please..i can easily get side tracked as well...

keep them coming inn players!

 

[dreamscometrue]

1. If your yearly renew expense yearly is over 20k a year, do you have partners, silent investors, angels, VC money money

RESPONSE: Over 20k? Yes. Partners? No. (could have VC money, so far not interested)

2. If you were to persue this again would you continue to do what your doing with yearly fees

RESPONSE: Not sure on the question. If I could rewind, I would buy every single City.TV over 100,000 population in the USA, regardless of annual price tag.

3. Are you self funding your operation and development?

RESPONSE: Similar to question #1. I am self funding everything.

4. Are you seeing traffic on your .tv names and type in traffic. For everyone to answer.

RESPONSE: Yes, there is traffic and it is increasing with each week.

5. Why did you invest in .tv names?

RESPONSE: Because we are in the 1990's of .com within the .tv world today...how do people still not understand this?

6. There are a few people combing things and are you happy with that?

RESPONSE: I think the majority of the people that are holding these major .tv names are some of the best people in the industry to have them. With time, resources and development the BAR will be set. 16-36 months is my estimation.





NY