domains Google domains to be acquired by Squarespace!

[MadAboutDomains]

This one surprised me...

https://domainnamewire.com/2023/06/15/squarespace-buys-google-domains-for-180-million/

I wonder if that means that they are buying their gTLD portfolio (.app, .dev, .new) as well? Registrar, not registry.

 

[cooljub]

Why does G domains have a load of people with masks on on the graphics. It's really weird... [..] No normal person would want that as a representation of normal people surely??

G⦾⦾gle want that as a representation of normal people.

 

[Daniel Owens]

This one surprised me...

https://domainnamewire.com/2023/06/15/squarespace-buys-google-domains-for-180-million/

I wonder if that means that they are buying their gTLD portfolio (.app, .dev, .new) as well? Registrar, not registry.

My opinion is $180,000,000 is peanuts for a big company. Seems like it went cheap, would have expected g domains to go for like 1 billion.

 

[Samer]

My opinion is $180,000,000 is peanuts for a big company. Seems like it went cheap, would have expected g domains to go for like 1 billion.

Google ngTLD Registry will be sold next.
It’s a matter of when, not if.
I believe xyz registry, or Donuts (Identity Digital) will buy.

 

[christianpatrick]

Google ngTLD Registry will be sold next.
It’s a matter of when, not if.
I believe xyz registry, or Donuts (Identity Digital) will buy.

Exactly this. From my understanding, SquareSpace is buying the inventory but Google’s registry still remains. I’ll be very curious what that goes for.

 

[Stariii]

I have 2 .NET domains on Google, and they have been renewed for 9 years.

 

[jmcc]

Nor did they want to compete. As per T&C one can pay on google domains if and only if the billing address is from a dozen or so countries.

I'm not sure that they even knew how to compete. At a registrar and reseller level, the business is quite a ruthless one. Even at gTLD registrar level, there massive concentration of the markets with some of the large registrar portfolio operators having multiple accreditations.

Google Domains was strong in the US market but outside the US, things tend to get very localised with a few registrars having most of the market. (Typically, the top ten registrars have 80% or more of the market in a mature market.) It isn't helped by the numbers of new .COM registrations being much lower than the numbers of new ccTLDs in most non-US markets.

Even Godaddy found it hard to break into those markets and it did so by acquiring some of the leading ccTLD registrars in those markets. The brands largely continued for a few years so it was not unusual to see Godaddy being one of the main players in the UK market with a number of the top ten ccTLD registrars in that maket. When it comes to the European market, it is even more complex with some serious players like Team.Blue, 1&1, United Domains and others. The European market is largely ccTLD-positive (more ccTLD regs than gTLD regs).

Regards...jmcc

 

[jmcc]

I would argue that they have given it a lifeline instead of killing it. They've sold out which is good.

Trade sales (registrars being acquired by registrar portfolio operators) is common enough. It is the number of domain names involved and the Google brand that made this deal stand out.

Regards...jmcc

 

[jmcc]

Google ngTLD Registry will be sold next.

Some of the Google's new gTLDs are doing well but they will get a lot of bad publicity about .ZIP if it is used for malicious purposes (malware/phishing etc). There's no real need for Google to sell its new gTLD strings yet. It also has a few new gTLDs that have not really launched yet.

Regards...jmcc