A tiny nation's big two letters
Tuvalu is one of the smallest countries in the world — nine low-lying atolls in the Pacific with a population of about 11,000. Its country code happens to be TV, and for a country with few natural resources, leasing out .tv to commercial registry operators has been a meaningful source of government income for more than twenty years. Proceeds have helped pay for things like the country's membership in the United Nations.
For roughly two decades the registry was run under contract by Verisign, the company behind .com, and later arrangements kept it in commercial hands while Tuvalu remains the TLD's owner.
Who uses it
Video and streaming brands, above all. Twitch made twitch.tv a household name, and the ending reads naturally for channels, shows and creators. Outside of video it can confuse people, so think about whether your brand is actually TV-shaped.
Good for
- Streaming channels, video creators and media brands
- Short names for shows and podcasts with video
- Companion domains for campaigns
Watch out for
- Premium pricing on short or obvious names
- Non-video brands may find the ending confusing
.tv by the numbers
.tv is the country-code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Tuvalu, a country in Polynesia.
Outside Tuvalu, plenty of people know .tv for a different reason: it reads as television, video and streaming. That second meaning doesn't change who's in charge, though. The domain still belongs to Tuvalu, and its registry sets the rules.
A little context on Tuvalu: the capital is Funafuti, languages include English and Tuvaluan, the currency is the Australian dollar (AUD) and the international dialing code is +688.
IANA lists Ministry of Transport, Energy, Communications and Innovations as the manager of .tv, with an address in Tuvalu. The registry's website is https://turnon.tv. ccTLD managers set their own policies — who can register, which second-level names exist, pricing to registrars — so those rules differ from country to country.
Under the hood, the root zone points to 6 name servers for .tv, every one of them reachable over IPv6. The delegation is DNSSEC-signed, so resolvers can verify that answers for .tv haven't been tampered with on the way. Registration data is published over RDAP and WHOIS (the WHOIS server is whois.nic.tv).
.tv vs other endings
.tv FAQ
What country is .tv?
Tuvalu, a Polynesian island nation in the Pacific of about 11,000 people. "TV" is its ISO 3166-1 code.
Why is .tv used for video sites?
Because "TV" reads as television. Twitch (twitch.tv) is the best-known example.
What does .tv mean?
Officially, .tv is simply the ISO 3166-1 code for Tuvalu. Online, it's also used for television, video and streaming — a "domain hack" that uses the letters for what they spell.
What does .tv mean in an email address?
Only that the sender's domain is registered under .tv. Because .tv is also used for television, video and streaming, it doesn't necessarily mean the person is in Tuvalu.
Who owns the .tv domain?
IANA lists Ministry of Transport, Energy, Communications and Innovations as the manager of .tv: it runs the registry and sets the rules for Tuvalu's ccTLD. Individual .tv names belong to whoever registers them.
Can I register a .tv domain from the US?
It depends on Ministry of Transport, Energy, Communications and Innovations's policy. Some ccTLDs are open to anyone in the world, while others require a local address, company or trademark. Check the registry (https://turnon.tv) or an accredited registrar before you buy.
Is .tv DNSSEC-signed?
Yes. The root zone has a DS record for .tv, so DNSSEC validation works all the way down from the root.
How do I look up who owns a .tv domain?
Query the registry's registration data service: the WHOIS server is whois.nic.tv, and RDAP lookups go to https://rdap.nic.tv/. Many registrants use privacy services, so personal details may be hidden.
Sources
Data from IANA root zone version 2026102000. Last changed October 21, 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
