YNOT – Despite continued grumbling within and without the adult entertainment industry — and an antitrust lawsuit filed in mid-November — ICM Registry continues to make big deals with adult content purveyors who want a piece of the potentially lucrative dot-xxx domain space. On Thursday, the company announced high-dollar sales to two long-term adult industry insiders.
According to a prepared statement, the owners of Los Angeles-based Clips4Sale paid $700,000 for a collection of 30 “premium” dot-xxx domain names. Although C4S declined to reveal the names until the sites launch early next year, ICM Sales Director Vaughn Liley said one domain fetched $300,000 and two others drew $80,000 apiece. The $300,000 transaction plants that domain firmly within the top 15 domain sales across all spaces during 2011, he added.
“With our current plan to significantly increase our market share, taking the opportunity to acquire highly visible domain names that specifically relate to our business was an obvious choice,” said spokesperson for Clips4Sale. “These 30 new domains will enable us to be predominant in certain niches within dot-xxx as well as provide additional avenues to promote our producers and their content to a new audience.”
Meanwhile, across the pond in London, adult content producer and publisher Paul Raymond acquired at least 11 dot-xxx domain names under which the company intends to rebrand its online presence. According to Liley, the Paul Raymond deal represents the largest single migration of an adult brand to the dot-xxx sponsored Top Level Domain to date. Financial details of the transaction were not revealed.
“We believe the future of adult entertainment online is in the dot-xxx Top Level Domain,” said Adam Osborn, head of digital endeavors at Paul Raymond Publications. “We see a huge benefit in the adult community having an online space dedicated to our content.”
The domains Paul Raymond snagged include PaulRaymond.xxx and PrpVOD.xxx in addition to dating sites RazzleDating.xxx, MensworldDating.xxx, MenOnlyDating.xxx, EscortDating.xxx, AdultSportDating.xxx, ClubDating.xxx, FantasyDating.xxx, MayfairDating.xxx and PaulRaymondDating.xxx. Osborn said the company anticipates all the sites will be migrated from their current dot-com digs to dot-xxx by Feb. 1.
“This demonstrates that the leading brands in adult entertainment understand the tremendous value the new dot-xxx domain offers,” said Steve Winyard, vice president, Europe, for ICM Registry. “Paul Raymond is a great brand and an ideal partner for dot-xxx.”
At the same time, Winyard revealed ICM Registry has taken a premium sponsorship package for the Paul Raymond Winter Wonderland party set to take place Dec. 1. The annual bash draws an international crowd of adult performers and industry heavyweights. Several of ICM’s dot-xxx spokesmodels will attend to promote the brand and the benefits of ICM’s Adult Performer Program. The program allows verified adult entertainers to secure their stage names in dot-xxx with minimal red tape and financial investment.
