A sponsored top-level domain (sTLD) is one of the categories of top-level domains (TLDs) maintained by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) for use in the Domain Name System of the Internet. IANA currently distinguishes the following groups of top-level domains:

• country-code top-level domains (ccTLD)
• generic top-level domains (gTLD)
  • sponsored top-level domains (sTLD)
  • unsponsored top-level domains
• infrastructure top-level domain (.arpa)

A sponsored TLD is a specialized top-level domain that has a sponsor representing a specific community served by the domain. The communities involved are based on ethnic, geographical, professional, technical or other theme concepts proposed by private agencies or organizations that establish and enforce rules restricting the eligibility of registrants to use the TLD. For example, the .aero TLD is sponsored by SITA, which limits registrations to members of the air-transport industry.

Un dominio de Internet patrocinado (en inglés, sponsored TLD) es un dominio de Internet genérico propuesto por una agencia o fundación independiente, la cual establece y aplica las reglas para optar a dicho dominio. Por ejemplo, el dominio.aero ha sido patrocinado por la Société Internationale de Télécommunications Aéronautiques, la cual limita el registro bajo este dominio a miembros de la industria del transporte aéreo.