Luxury automaker Bentley Motors has decided to terminate its dot-brand top-level domain (TLD), .bentley, marking another major company stepping away from a dedicated brand TLD.
Bentley Cancels .bentley
On December 13, 2024, Bentley formally notified ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) of its intent to cancel its contract for operating .bentley. On February 15, 2025, ICANN issued a preliminary decision not to transfer the domain to another entity, starting a one-month public comment period before the domain is officially retired.
What Happens to Existing .bentley Domains?
Bentley previously used .bentley for select branded domains, such as:
• extraordinaryjourneys.bentley
• service.bentley
• events.bentley
As of February 15, these domains now redirect to pages on Bentley’s main website, signaling a return to traditional domain usage.
Why Are Brands Abandoning Their TLDs?
Bentley’s move reflects a growing trend where major corporations, including Philips, Volvo, and McDonald’s, have also dropped their dot-brand TLDs due to:
• High maintenance costs
• Limited consumer adoption
• SEO and branding challenges
While dot-brand domains were once seen as the future of corporate digital identity, their real-world benefits have failed to justify the investment for many companies.
Is this the end of the dot-brand era? Share your thoughts!
News Source:Domainnamewire，This article does not represent our position.
