Moniker publicly released the TRAFFIC West live auction domain list this morning. They received over 120,000 submissions for next week’s auction, and after reviewing the names, I think this auction will set a record for highest grossing domain auction – even though it is missing the great multi-million dollar domain name that is still reasonably priced. There are some strong domain names listed, with many at reserves I would consider reasonable.
The full live auction list can be seen
Moniker TRAFFIC West Auction List Released
Moniker Inks Another Multi Million Dollar Deal
As reported on DNN, Moniker recently closed a $4 million deal for the domain name Bored.com and all associated content to JW Media. The company paid an additional $500,000 for a portfolio of 170 undisclosed websites. With over 2 million monthly visitors, Bored.com has a strong returning visitor base, which will help the buyer earn a return on its investment.
This marks the second multi-million dollar private deal that Moniker helped close in 2008.
$4 Million Dollar Domain Sale for Moniker
According to a news release today, Moniker recently brokered the sale of adult domain name FreePorn.com for $4 million. This marks the largest domain sale of 2008, and one of the largest domain sales ever. In May of 2007, Porn.com sold for $9 million.
Oversee.net Receives $150 Million Investment
As discussed on TheDomains.com, Oversee.net received a commitment for a $150 million investment from Oak Hill Capital Partners. The transaction is expected to close by the end of January 2008. Oversee.net recently made news with their acquisition of domain registrar Moniker, and the transition to working as one collective unit has already begun. I received an email this afternoon with the subject, “SnapNames and Moniker Collaborate on Internext Domain Auction.”
According to Conde Nast publication Portfolio.com, “the funds will be used to boost growth and to acquire technologies that will enhance its suite of services.”
Let’s hope future acquisitions continue to help individual companies build upon the strong foundation of its buyer.
Breaking News: Oversee Acquires Moniker
According to this just distributed press release, Oversee.net has acquired domain registrar Moniker. I assume this is the news to which Rick Schwartz was referring this morning. More information about this can be found on Moniker’s homepage.
It will be interesting to see what will happen with the two major domain conferences (DomainFest and TRAFFIC) and their live auctions. Domain Sponsor (an Oversee.net company) is a founding partner of DomainFest, which features the SnapNames Live Auction from January 22-23, and TRAFFIC features the Moniker Live Auction on February 20 in Las Vegas.
I am sure we will soon learn more about how this news will impact the industry.
Live Auction Madness!
Much in part due to the success of live domain auction pioneerMoniker, a number of live auctions are now taking place at domain conferences throughout the world. In the past week, two industry titans (Snapnames and Godaddy) announced that they will be entering the live auction circuit. This should be good news for domain investors who will now have a choice of partner and venue to auction their domain names.
Much like DomainTools’ live auction at Domain Roundtable, technology will play a large role in the auction format, allowing off-site bidders easier access to the auctions. This should allow for more bidders and possibly more transparency in the auction process. Also, the greater competition should also bring down the restrictive commission charges. This is great news for domain investors, as long as live auctions remain competitive.