# What is a .tv domain, and what does Tuvalu get from it?

> .tv domains from Tuvalu, open worldwide: 1 to 10 years, popular with streamers and media. Register at Pearlcay, paid in crypto, no KYC, free DNS.

- URL: https://pearlcay.com/tv-domain/
- Last updated: 2026-11-02
- Publisher: Pearlcay (https://pearlcay.com)

The .tv ending is the country code of Tuvalu, a Pacific island nation of about 11,000 people. Its government contracts the registry, and streamers and media sites use the names.

**Quick answer — Does a .tv domain belong to Tuvalu?**

Yes. .tv is Tuvalu's country code, and the government stays the sponsor, but it has contracted GoDaddy Registry to run and market the registry, and anyone in the world can register a name. At **Pearlcay**, a .tv costs **$28.49/year** the first year and $28.49/year to renew (2 November 2026), paid in crypto with no KYC.

## Search a .tv domain

Search a domain name: https://pearlcay.com/app/domains/?q=yourname.tv

Popular extensions: .tv ($28.49)

Type a name to see if it is free. If the name is taken before we register it, or the registry refuses it, the full amount goes back to your balance.

## .tv at a glance

| Attribute | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Country code of | Tuvalu, a Pacific island nation |
| Registry | Ministry of Transport, Energy, Communications and Innovations |
| Technical operator | GoDaddy Registry, which won the contract in December 2021 |
| Who can register | Anyone, anywhere. No connection to Tuvalu is required. |
| Registration term | 1 to 10 years |
| Public WHOIS / RDAP | Privacy is allowed; free at Pearlcay |
| Known for | Streaming and video: twitch.tv and pluto.tv |

## .tv price per year

| Extension | 1st year | Renewal | Transfer | WHOIS privacy | Restrictions |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| .tv | $28.49 | $28.49 | $28.49 | Free | None |

*1 extensions · prices per year in USD*

No first-year discount: the first year costs the same as the renewal. A transfer in needs a domain more than 60 days old and adds one year. We found no registry price notice for 2025 or 2026.

## Tuvalu, the nation behind .tv

Tuvalu is a Pacific island nation of about 11,000 people, with a gross national income near $60 million, according to Domain Incite. Its capital is Funafuti, and it became independent from the United Kingdom on 1 October 1978.

The code .tv is Tuvalu's ISO 3166 code, TV. In 1998 the government signed the original deal for the domain with a company called .tv Corp. VeriSign bought .tv Corp in 2001 for $45 million, and the contract was renewed several times over the next two decades. In December 2021 the government said GoDaddy Registry had won a competitive tender. Domain Incite understood that VeriSign did not bid for renewal, and VeriSign told Domain Name Wire that it declined to take part for business reasons.

Before the switch, Tuvalu was receiving about $5 million a year from VeriSign, according to Domain Incite. The terms of the GoDaddy deal were not disclosed. The government calls .tv a cornerstone of its digital nation strategy.

IANA lists Tuvalu's Ministry of Transport, Energy, Communications and Innovations as sponsor and GoDaddy Registry as technical contact. The contract is the government's to tender again, which is how the operator changed in 2021.

## Who uses .tv, and why?

"TV" says television in every language, so broadcasters and creators took the ending. Twitch, the live-streaming service, runs on twitch.tv, and Pluto TV, the free streaming service, uses pluto.tv. Streamers who want a short channel address, podcasters and video studios register .tv names too.

Domain Incite described .tv in December 2021 as the first mainstream extension with tiered pricing, and said at least half a million names were registered. Tiered pricing means the registry charges more for some names, so a name you like can cost more than the standard price. See [why some names cost more](https://pearlcay.com/registry-premium-domains/ "Why do some .ai, .io or .gg names cost more?").

A .tv name suits a project you can say out loud, like "yourname dot tv". Try several candidates in the search above, because the best short names for media are often taken.

Once a name is registered, Pearlcay includes free DNS and free URL and email forwarding, so a .tv can point at a channel page on a streaming platform, a podcast host or your own site.

## .tv at other registrars, 2 November 2026

Prices per year in US dollars. For .tv the renewal is close to the first-year price at most registrars, except Namecheap, which charges more at renewal. Cloudflare sells at cost.

| Registrar | First year | Renewal | Pays in crypto |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Pearlcay | $28.49 | $28.49 | Yes, only crypto |
| Namecheap | $29.98 | $40.98 | Yes (deposit to account funds first) |
| Spaceship | $24.98 | $24.98 | Yes (Bitcoin; other coins not documented) |
| Cloudflare | $25.00 | $25.00 | No |
| Dynadot | $26.25 | $26.25 | Yes (BTC, USDT, USDC and more) |
| Porkbun | $26.26 | $26.26 | Yes (USDC via Coinbase) |

*Last checked on November 2, 2026; older figures carry their own date.*

Prices per year in US dollars, from each registrar's public price list on 2 November 2026 (sources below). They change often: check before you buy.

## .tv rules: terms, premium names and the operator

**Who can register.** Anyone, worldwide. The sources we checked show no residency or connection rule.

**Terms.** 1 to 10 years. A transfer in needs a domain more than 60 days old and adds one year.

**Privacy.** The registry allows privacy. At Pearlcay it is free, and what stays public still depends on the registry.

**Email check.** After you register, the registrant email must be verified within 15 days, as ICANN rules require. We collect no other contact data from you.

**Premium names.** The registry uses tiered pricing, so some names cost more than the standard price. See [why some names cost more](https://pearlcay.com/registry-premium-domains/ "Why do some .ai, .io or .gg names cost more?").

**Content and the operator.** The registry operator, GoDaddy Registry, is based in Tempe, Arizona, according to IANA's record, and Tuvalu's government remains the sponsor. The sources we checked list no content rule specific to .tv. Streaming and video sites should read our [abuse policy](https://pearlcay.com/abuse/ "How do I report abuse on a Pearlcay domain?") and [acceptable use policy](https://pearlcay.com/acceptable-use/ "Acceptable use policy") before they register.

**Contract risk.** The government re-tendered .tv in 2021, so the operator can change again at the next tender. We found no registry price notice for 2025 or 2026.

## .tv questions

### Does Tuvalu earn money from .tv names?

Yes. Domain Incite reported in December 2021 that Tuvalu was getting about $5 million a year from VeriSign, in a country of about 11,000 people. The terms of the GoDaddy contract were not disclosed.

### Who runs the .tv registry?

GoDaddy Registry won a competitive tender in December 2021 after VeriSign, the previous operator, did not bid. Tuvalu's government remains the sponsor in IANA's record.

### Is .tv only for television and video?

No. Streamers, podcasters and studios use it most, but anyone can register a .tv for any lawful use.

### Do I need a connection to Tuvalu to register a .tv?

No. The sources we checked show no residency or connection rule. Pearlcay sells .tv with no ID check and collects one verified email address per domain, as ICANN rules require.

### Why are some .tv names priced higher?

The registry uses tiered pricing and charges more for some names. The page on [registry premium names](https://pearlcay.com/registry-premium-domains/ "Why do some .ai, .io or .gg names cost more?") explains how.

### How long can I register a .tv for?

From 1 to 10 years. A transfer in adds one year and needs a domain more than 60 days old.

## Sources

1. [Delegation record for .tv](https://www.iana.org/domains/root/db/tv.html) — IANA (checked 2026-11-02)
2. [GoDaddy wins .tv contract after Verisign blows off 20-year deal (14 December 2021)](https://domainincite.com/?p=27298) — Domain Incite (checked 2026-11-02)
3. [GoDaddy wins contract to run .tv; Verisign didn't bid for renewal (14 December 2021)](https://domainnamewire.com/2021/12/14/godaddy-wins-contract-to-run-tv-verisign-didnt-bid-for-renewal/) — Domain Name Wire (checked 2026-11-02)
4. [Registrar price lists read on 2 November 2026 (Namecheap shown; Spaceship, Cloudflare, Dynadot, Porkbun read the same day)](https://www.namecheap.com/domains/full-tld-list/) — Namecheap and the other registrars named (checked 2026-11-02)

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Pearlcay: Pearlcay registers short country-code domains, most of them island extensions: .ai (Anguilla), .io (Chagos Islands), .gg (Guernsey), .sh (Saint Helena), .tv (Tuvalu) and ten more, paid in crypto with no KYC: no ID, only one verified email per domain. It is run by DomaineGoat LLC, a company registered in Panama; domains are registered through its ICANN-accredited registrar partner. A .ai costs $86.99/year, sold for at least 2 years.