RESTON, Va.—VeriSign is reporting that the third quarter of 2021 closed with 364.6 million domain name registrations across all top-level domains, a 0.7% decrease of 2.7 million domain name registrations compared to the second quarter of 2021. Year over year, domain name registrations dropped even more by 6.1 million, or 1.6%.
The .com and .net top level domains had a combined total of 172.1 million domain name registrations in the domain name base at the end of the third quarter of 2021, an 0.9% increase of 1.5 million domain name registrations, compared to the second quarter of 2021, VeriSign reported. The .com and .net TLDs had a combined increase of 8.3 million domain name registrations, or 5.1%, year over year.
As of Sept. 30, 2021, the .com domain name base totaled 158.6 million domain name registrations, and the .net domain name base totaled 13.5 million domain name registrations.
New .com and .net domain name registrations slowed, totaling 10.7 million at the end of the third quarter of 2021, compared to 10.9 million domain name registrations at the end of the third quarter of 2020, according to VeriSign, a provider of domain name registry services and internet infrastructure.
Verisign publishes "The Domain Name Industry Brief" to provide internet users throughout the world with statistical and analytical research and data on the domain name industry. The Domain Name Industry Brief for the third quarter 2021, as well as previous briefs, can be obtained at verisign.com/dnib.
George Winslow is the senior content producer for TV Tech. He has written about the television, media and technology industries for nearly 30 years for such publications as Broadcasting & Cable, Multichannel News and TV Tech. Over the years, he has edited a number of magazines, including Multichannel News International and World Screen, and moderated panels at such major industry events as NAB and MIP TV. He has published two books and dozens of encyclopedia articles on such subjects as the media, New York City history and economics.
