New gTLD Statistics 2026: The Numbers Behind the ICANN Program

ICANN received 1,930 applications during the 2012 New gTLD Round application window (January 12 – May 30, 2012). This was substantially higher than ICANN's initial projections of 500–1,000 applications.

Of those 1,930 applications:

The gap between applications (1,930) and delegations (~1,217) reflects withdrawals, failed evaluations, and contention losses. The effective delegation rate was approximately 63%.

The 1,930 applications from 2012 broke down approximately as follows:

Brand TLDs were the second-largest category. Most large multinational corporations with strong trademark portfolios applied. Brand TLDs operate under Specification 13 of the Registry Agreement, restricting registration to the brand owner exclusively — they do not sell domains to the public.

Generic TLDs form the commercial backbone of the new gTLD ecosystem. The most successful generic new gTLDs by registration volume include .TOP, .XYZ, .ONLINE, .SITE, .SHOP, and .APP.

New gTLD costs fall into three categories:

1. ICANN application fee: USD 227,000

This is the non-refundable fee paid to ICANN at application time. It covers ICANN's evaluation costs. This fee applies to the 2026 round.

2. Contention and auction costs (if applicable)

3. RSP (Registry Service Provider) fees: USD 25,000–100,000/year

Once delegated, TLD operators pay their RSP annually for backend registry operations (DNS, EPP/SRS, WHOIS/RDAP, DNSSEC, Data Escrow). Fees vary by RSP and zone size.

4. Professional services: USD 30,000–100,000

Application preparation, legal review, trademark clearance, and ongoing policy compliance add significant cost.

Total first-year investment: USD 282,000–450,000+ for most applicants, excluding auction costs.

ICANN's RSP evaluation program was created for the 2012 round to ensure technical quality across new TLD backends. As of 2025, only 28 organizations worldwide have passed ICANN's full evaluation.

Key facts about RSPs:

ADG (PT AIDI Digital Global) is one of these 28 ICANN-evaluated RSPs, providing full-stack registry services from its infrastructure in Indonesia.

The ICANN 2026 New gTLD Round is the second major application window since the program launched. Key projections and expectations:

Application volume: ICANN and industry analysts project 1,500–3,000 applications in 2026. The larger expected range reflects broader awareness and international applicant interest since 2012.

Application window: April 30 – August 12, 2026 (105 days). This is shorter than the 2012 window.

Delegation timeline: 14–19 months from application window close to TLD delegation in the DNS root zone.

First delegations: Expected late 2027 to early 2028 for the earliest-evaluated, uncontested applications.

New features: ICANN has announced improved evaluation procedures, faster processing, and new provisions for geographic names and community TLDs based on lessons from the 2012 round.

RSP requirement unchanged: All applicants must identify an ICANN-evaluated RSP. Only 28 RSPs worldwide qualify.