London based web domain start-up Accent Media has signed up major international brands like Google, eBay, Manchester United and Apple for the .tickets top level domain.

Accent, part owned by AIM quoted CentralNic (LON:CNIC), has already sold hundreds of web domains for .ticket to pre-registered trademark holders during what is termed the ‘sunrise’ pre-marketing period.

This phase, which stops major brands from being usurped by opportunistic domain buyers, has seen immediate demand, according to Accent.

Steve Machin, formerly vice-president of Ticketmaster and Accent’s co-CEO, said: “The substantial demand for .tickets domains is an early indication that leading brands are ready to capitalise upon this vision for the future of ticketing.”

It is expected that .tickets domains will go on general release from September 14.

Accent highlights the particularly attractive potential for what it calls ‘category killer’ web domain names like concert.tickets, train.tickets and theatre.tickets. Such domains will enable innovators and incumbents to ‘own’ an entire global ticketing sector, it added.

Major airlines such as Emirates have bought .ticket domains in the ‘sunrise’ phase, meanwhile, other recognisable brands included Real Madrid Football Club, Amazon, Major League Baseball, Formula One Group and rock bank U2.

CentralNic, a stock market listed wholesale distributor of new domains such as .xyz, acquired a 12% stake in Accent with a US$1.62mln investment last year.