.tv Business models and Partnerships for .tv's

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Hello My name is Dave Lalande and I own a small startup called Impel.TV

This is my first thread in many many years. I would like to attempt to start some talk about business models and partnerships with .tv domain names. What else can we do with .tv domain names besides sell them to each other or sell them to an occasional end user? How about parking... That's not really doing anything with the great name. We ALL need people making markets with .tv's, making the domain extension popular. Watch what happens to the value of you .tv's when someone sells one or more to the Google machine for a billion dollars.

I believe that .tv actually means something to people. I think we all do. It's really the only one other than .com that really makes people think of something.

Years ago, via a Public company, I filed patent on a domain name system addition called, Simplified Domains. The concept is that SD would allow for any domain name extension, 3-back. That is micros.oft or ap.ple or taxi.cab. You would just type in the word(s) and hit enter, the browser would test for the domain "3-back" and if it didn't resolve it would kick it over to the current domain name system to check for the silly "categorized" ones we now use. It worked great and we had $50K in domain registrations in the first 2 days. I didn't allow this company to actually charge anyone, but it was an interesting test of the concept. I was actually asked to speak at an ICANN meeting in LA about Simplified Domains and did just that. You can read more about SD of course, now that I have told you this much.

I told about Simplified Domains to show a little history I have had with domain names and also to impress the fact that the naming categorization model, that is .biz, .info and the rest, are garbage. They don't REALLY mean anything. It's goofy to roll out more, quite frankly. If they roll out .sex, churches will buy them up to protect themselves and that just runs the cost of doing business up for everyone.

Having said that, IF a domain extension did actually mean something (.tv) theeeeeeeeen we would have something of value. :) That's us folks. .tv does actually mean something. Congrats to all the .tv'ers, you are in the right place a good time, a little early, but great timing never-the-less. That is, if you can find an "end user" to buy your name OR, you figure out a "legitimate" revenue stream with it. Parking is not legit, we all have figured that out. Only a handful of people make any real money this way, it's in the numbers and paying $40+ for the domain names makes it tougher.

The television industry is in turmoil. I recently read that 30% of the ad revenue had been ripped out and handed over to the Internet. Disruption... Other industries are seeing this Internet disruption, we are all reading about it. The travel industry, real estate, gambling, music, government, software/OS, nothing is immune to what the Internet is doing. It's clearing the playing field and saying "start over".

It's the television industry's turn and .tv is where it's going to happen. Did you ever wonder how someone comes to own an NBC affiliate? Well, this is it, your chance. If someone could have slapped down a chance to own a television channel waaaaaaaay back when the Television Industry 1.0 was taking place and then said, "THIS IS YOUR CHANCE", would you have jumped? Seriously, sell your domain name for 3-4 times the cost, park it for pennies or use it. Try something... What? We don't know, if we did, it would be too late or too much money to get into for most of us. That's the cool thing about the only other potentially commercial domain name extension besides .com that means anything. .TV :) It makes me smile when I write .tv.

So here is the deal, let's talk about business models that we know of, the good, bad and the ugly. Although, ugly is okay if the content is good, on the Internet. How do we make money with these names? Impel.TV believes that the Internet will break the television viewers/business into little chucks, islands of interest. CBS has a broad range of programming for instance, whereas you would assume that tampabay.tv is going to be about Tampa, FL., before you land there. Well this is an advertisers dream. Target marketing. Everything about a topic of interest in one place. Now marketeers are hunting with a rifle.tv not a shotgun.tv. If what you want to sell is in Tampa, you can pretty much count on the audience's interest in tampabay.tv, tampa.tv or tampaguide.tv. (I was doing so well :))

Before I go on any further and explain about what Impel.TV does and some partnership ideas, I want to ask if there is a genuine interest from this crowd about doing something with your names, not just sitting on them? If you want to keep you "for sale" options open, well that's just part of the model that needs to be there for you to participate? Take it from a guy that has bought and sold a number companies/businesses, including to a public entity, your domain name is worth more if there is revenue attached. WAAAAAAAAAAAAY more. Try marketing your name with $5K monthly revenue attached and a market started. :) Your negotiating position now becomes mathematical. Not, "because I think it's a great name". You now can say, "I am going to lose $60K a year selling you this name, what's that worth?"

Are you interested in figuring this out? I am starting to meet a few that are, right here on namepros.com That is what this thread is about, let's talk business models and partnerships.
 
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You already told me this George... ie HuntingtonBeach.tv, OverlandPark.tv & others. :)
 
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I was simply trying to help in the discussion.

In 1999, I didn't know how to run a Pay Per Lead model and I figured it out.

IMHO Pay Per Lead is much stronger than Banner Ads

With Banner Ads, you will never generate enough revenue to properly market your site. I'm sorry that is how I feel.
 
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No, I am brave enough to listen to your original ideas. Stop making everyone else think. Trying sharing that great mind of yours. I can't imagine that you do any business at all with your attitude. You sound a little bummed that someone hasn't handed you a bag of money yet?

Start me from scratch. That is exactly what I am doing here. Trying to figure out, what is the best path? Do you know something we don't? Please share. Soften your heart and help.

I was going to show your site to some people, but I don't know why I would do that, knowing what kind of guy is behind it. You must be a kid. Good luck with your high quality names I hope you sell high. Really...

I think you site is really nice looking by the way.

Good Luck...

I could respond Sir with what I have been told about they way you deal with differences with other fellow NP members, but I won't go there......

Safe to say - you should not be preaching to anyone about being a kid....

Thank you for liking my site, but I promise you this...I will not hold back from my feelings on a topic, even if it means you do not show my site to your friends, or buy a banner ad - so I will sleep less soundly tonite knowing that I will have three less viewers, but more soundly because I kept my integrity intact...

I would not say your site looked awful if it looked good and vice versa......what you are offering IS a WHOLE LOT lesss than WHAT I have been offered in other partnerships - hence my response.......deal with it, by asking yourself some hard questions that only you can answer, no one on the board will give you what you want....
 
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The one thing I love more then my company is being an Entrepreneur. I think that Dave is awesome for not just talking about his idea, but actually going after it and doing it. Even if we don't agree or like his model, look or anything else.

It takes great courage and guts to be an entrepreneur and to go out there and do something and for that I applaud him loud!

As an Entrepreneur I believe strongly in giving back to other Entrepreneurs. I love to give advice and help out where I can. I do a lot of free consulting to people in my town.

I also don't think it is wrong to ask for ideas and brainstorming is always good. But...

The thing is this space is a very heated space and I know of others on this board, including myself, that can't afford to share ideas that they are putting time, effort, and money into. It just not make good business sense.

What I can tell you and everyone here is to think out of the box. Do something different and don't worry about what anyone else is doing. You have an idea, go for it! Be smart, but don't wait. There is a huge world out there and no one is going to do things exactly like anyone else. So just because someone is doing something similar, doesn't mean you should stop doing what you are doing if you believe in it.
 
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Where can we sell leads George?

Thanks for chiming in. Congrats on your past successes. I hope you knock'em dead in the future.

I hope everyone here does well. That is what this is all about. CashCow is correct, I do want to help. I do like making money, but when I have to see my maker, he is not really going to care about how much money I have, but who and how many have I helped.

Anyone else have any ideas, don't let these tough guys scare you, throw it out there. The rest of us want to know.

localexperts said:
In the spirit of the thread, I will foster conversation.

Our business model is based on pay per lead. Respond (dot) com runs that model. IAC. Reply.com Leads.com.

Pay Per Lead is a very tough ( I had 30 companies try to compete against us and they all went out of business - I now own one of my old competitors after Paul Allen and Russ Horowitz dumped $60M in them - they ran ads on TV - and went out of business). Oh and Respond. Well they bought my company, we kicked out the executive team, fired all the Respond employees and took over the name. So Respond didn't even make it, netgenshopper (dot) com did.

Pay Per Lead will work with .TV. People see a video, they want to get more information, submit a lead. Boom $10-$80 for a single lead.

Business Model Discussion and I'm waiting for a server upgrade!
 
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Dave, most major Pay Per Lead providers have an affliate program. Some of them are on CJ and Linkshare. Others run their own affliate program. There are also Lead Brokers.

I don't have an affliate program because this is what happens. We buys leads from folks. The web site owners think they can build their own Respond copy. One day, they launch a competiting service. 18 months later they come back realizing it isn't that easy. So I decided to build my own affliate network.

Something to be careful about. Helping people is nice, but normally people don't afford you the same benefit.

I would try one of the PPL affliate programs.
 
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no more discussion for me. :)
 
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If you are passionate about your idea, go and prove us wrong, make it work, do what you have to do.....

BDM1, that is the right mental model to approach your business.

Winning in business is about attitude, drive, and passion.

In the end, that is as important as your business model.
 
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BDM1 said:
Im not the overnight crowd by the way, Im here all the time :laugh:

Stunning one liner.
 
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no more discussion for me. :)
 
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Wow this thread has really gone a little off kilter. Dave I think you need to understand how you came off from the get go, I have gotten pms asking me Who does he think he is? and He is really full of himself. I made a simple observation and opinion and you post I seemed Tense. Tense ? not at all my man I have educated more people on the .tv extension then anyone on the net. But I don't tell people what I think is the best and if you don't like it you are tense or you must be a kid ( all things is not a kid).

You need to look at your model ME.tv someone can push the social networking aspect of the site just like the domain. Someone would use Beer.tv and if a buyer wanted the domain and site IMPEL.tv would get half ? Why ? He could use ME.tv or a clipshare script or even BrightCove and keep it all.

I understand the network idea and do not think its bad but it seems to be slanted toward being more beneficial for IMPEL than the domain owner.

Now I think you have a bunch of domains so here is an idea I would do (you said post ideas) I would put out a press release saying Hot Opportunity to run your own channel for free. Requirements you must be a member of the Geo in which you get within the IMPEL network. So you have the domains and someone who has no .tv get one in the IMPEL.tv network

So Bill from Alaska gets to run AlaskaGuide.tv he runs it, promotes it gets 50 % with no risk. Impel owns the domain, if it should get a buyer Bill gets 20 % of the sale or the option to buy and take ownership of AlaskaGuide.tv.
 
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One wedding web site uses that same model. The owner franchises the states to someone who lives there. It is not a bad model.
 
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Thank you
 
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The only problem Ray is he wants to charge a monthly fee. I could see a signup fee (because you only want people who are serious), but if you charge $99/mo that person better get some revenue FAST or they will bail if they can't pay that bill.
 
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Oh right to get started I would do it for free, Locals of each individual Geo area running your Impel.tv site is better than having empty sites sitting there. You make it like its a big time deal to be an IMPEL.tv associate owner. Get people pumped like they getting a great deal. Or pay a one time fee get 50 % No fee get 30%
 
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;) I was told it might be better not to put the original post here, so I have taken it off.
 
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Equity says...

So Bill from Alaska gets to run AlaskaGuide.tv he runs it, promotes it gets 50 % with no risk. Impel owns the domain, if it should get a buyer Bill gets 20 % of the sale or the option to buy and take ownership of AlaskaGuide.tv.

Yes... No .tv needed, We would entertain this idea, for sure. Yes Sir... We don't want a slacker running a channel, but you don't need to own a .TV or have any money. We have lot's of both. We need producers. Have Bill contact us, let's go... See how easy that is? No hype, just a good idea from Equity.

Dave
 
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Dave, no offense, but your giving a lot of long winded rhetoric and no details. That is why people keep asking.

The details are what is needed for this forum, we have already heard the hype.
 
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No offense taken Showbiz. We are going to roll 400+ Web Television channels in 07'. We would partner with anyone that would make sense to do so. So while others are sitting around thinking about, we'll be over here rolling them out.

I am not sure what people keep asking? I said, here is some ideas we have, here is a partnership idea. We haven't come to any conclusions, but while we all think about it. There is soon be 400+ more hooks in the .tv waters. No hype, no partnerships from this gang needed. We think we scored another nice partnership yesterday, nothing to do with this crowd.

Showbiz said:
Dave, no offense, but your giving a lot of long winded rhetoric and no details. That is why people keep asking.

The details are what is needed for this forum, we have already heard the hype.
 
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ok, i think there is nothing more to say as matters Dave and impel.tv

please dont make this a flame!!!
 
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