The ICANN Priority Numbers Drawn for New gTLD Applications starts today at 4PM EST, 1PST local time

The question is what will we know by the end of today?

The draw will be broadcast live but as of now there is no URL for the broadcast.

You can check on ICANN site, where we expect to see the draw or be provided a link to it later on.

The draw as far as we know at this point will be a draw of numbers which have been assigned to those who have purchased tickets.

So watching the draw is likely to be like watching a lotto or Powerball drawing in which you hear the numbers drawn, but those numbers won’t mean anything to anyone except those holding the number.

What I don’t expect to happen as the draw is occurring is for ICANN to state anything other than the number, so if your expecting to hear the name of the applicant and/or string as the numbers are being drawn you maybe disappointed.

ICANN does promise to “announce the results of the Draw on the day of the Draw and the results will be posted on ICANN’s website at http://gtldresult.icann.org/application-result/applicationstatus within 24 hours of the end of the Draw”.

Based on what is on that website now, you may have to click on each application to see what number they drew and their position in allocation process.

We also know the IDN’s will get preference on the draw and that for new gTLD’s which for which there are more than one application no matter how good your number is your going to have to wait for the worst numbered application in your string to get evaluated, so your number is only as good as the worst number in the string.  You can read more about that here.

We will of course be reporting on the draw as news warrants.

Good luck to all applicants and may the force be with you.