PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – In a stunning departure from a pricing structure many adult industry insiders have called mercenary, ICM Registry on Monday announced a cost reduction that will drop the first-year retail sticker on .xxx domains to as low as $12.99.

Currently, .xxx domains cost $85 and up, depending on registrar.

The price reduction will be in effect April 1-30, as part of an attempt to encourage website owners to purchase domains within the new .porn and .adult spaces. According to an ICM statement, any .xxx name purchased before April 30 qualifies for the .porn and .adult Domain Matching Program, which allows owners of .xxx domains to obtain exact matches, if available, in the two new domain spaces.

Whether or not they seek matching .porn and .adult domains, those who own .xxx domains on April 30 will be able to register .porn and .adult domains for a first-year price of $12.99 each.

“The word ‘porn’ has always been one of the most searched terms on the internet, and it is now a [Top-Level Domain],” ICM Director Steve Winyard said. “There are amazing opportunities for [search engine optimization] and exact-match domain phrases in these new TLDs. Dot-porn and .adult can easily be as successful as, if not more successful than, .xxx.

“With our promotional, low-price offers, adult site owners have plenty of time to test these new extensions and build profitable sites,” he added.

The Domain Matching Program starts May 6 and runs through May 31.

ICM will launch .sex later this year and plans to offer similar domain-matching opportunities for that domain, Winyard said.

“With so many new TLDs on the market, it’s refreshing to know that all four of our TLDs are powerhouses that clearly identify the content, products and services available,” Winyard said. “Consumers are becoming more aware of the significance of the words to the right of the dot, and for site owners, the innovation, [return on investmemt] and SEO opportunities in our new TLDs bring next-level excitement.”

To check the availability of a .xxx domain, click here.