The Boston Globe

What The Boston Globe does

The Boston Globe is a privately held regional news organization founded in 1872 and headquartered at 1 Exchange Place, Boston. It is owned by John Henry (since 2013) and operates under the holding company Boston Globe Media Partners, LLC, with 1,001–5,000 employees. Its flagship product is a daily newspaper distributed in print and digital form, complemented by bostonglobe.com, an ePaper replica, a mobile app, and an extensive newsletter portfolio that now includes the subscriber-only Power Play business newsletter and the Varsity News high school sports newsletter. The portfolio is extended through wholly owned subsidiaries STAT (health news), Boston.com (digital news, acquired October 2025), and Boston Magazine (lifestyle), as well as sub-brands such as the Spotlight investigative team, Globe Games, Globe Magazine, and the Say More podcast.

The business operates a multi-stream revenue model anchored by recurring digital and print subscriptions, supported by digital and print advertising, events and sponsorships (e.g., Globe Summit, Health Equity Summit), one-off back-issue sales ($6.75 daily / $18.50 Sunday), and sponsored content. Distribution combines direct-to-consumer digital subscriptions, home delivery, library partnerships (Minuteman Library Network, Boston Public Library), and e-commerce for archival copies. The direct subscriber base has reached its highest total since 2008, indicating successful digital transition despite broader regional-press headwinds.

Market focus is the New England region — Greater Boston, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island — with a horizontal segmentation across general news readers, business professionals, sports enthusiasts, and library card holders. The organization has won multiple Pulitzer Prizes, George Polk Awards, Gerald Loeb Awards, and a 2026 Yankee Quill Award, and was named a Top Places to Work in Massachusetts for two consecutive years. No AI/ML capabilities, public API, or disclosed revenue figures are present in the source data.

Name

The Boston Globe

Legal name

Boston Globe Media Partners, LLC

Website

https://bostonglobe.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1872

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The Boston Globe is a 153-year-old privately held regional news organization serving New England (Boston, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island) through digital and print subscriptions, a multi-platform portfolio including STAT, Boston.com, and Boston Magazine, newsletters, events, and investigative journalism.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Newspaper & Digital News Media

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (513110), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)

akta.pro primary industry

Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Business, Finance & Industry Trade Magazines (MPAJAEAM), Government & Public Policy Publishing (Regulations, Gazettes, Legislative Tracking) (MPAJACAI)

Keywords

• Regional newspaper
• Digital news subscription
• Investigative journalism
• New england media
• News publications

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Digital Subscriptions: Subscription-based access to bostonglobe.com, The Boston Globe ePaper, and mobile app. Includes auto-renewal and various billing periods.
2. Print Subscriptions: Home delivery of The Boston Globe newspaper, may or may not include online access.
3. Events and Sponsorships: Summit events such as Health Equity Summit with presenting sponsors like Sanofi, generating revenue through sponsorships and attendance fees.
4. Back Issues: Sale of individual newspaper copies - Daily $6.75 per copy, Sunday $18.50 per copy.
5. Advertising: Digital and print advertising across the Boston Globe's platforms and publications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Boston Globe is a 153-year-old metropolitan news organization that publishes a daily newspaper in print and digital formats, operates the bostonglobe.com website, mobile app, and ePaper, and sells digital and print subscriptions to individual readers. It also produces newsletters (Power Play, Varsity News), Globe Magazine, puzzles and games, podcasts (Say More), the Spotlight investigative unit, and hosts events such as the annual Globe Summit and Health Equity Summit.

Product overview

The Boston Globe operates as a legacy news organization with a multi-platform portfolio combining its core newspaper product with digital subscriptions, specialized content offerings, and events. The primary offerings include the print and digital Boston Globe Newspaper, digital subscriptions providing access to bostonglobe.com, the ePaper, and mobile app. The portfolio extends through subscriber newsletters (Power Play, Varsity News), Globe Magazine, Globe Games puzzles, the Spotlight investigative team, STAT health news, and Boston.com. The company generates revenue primarily through digital and print subscriptions, advertising, sponsored content through Studio/B, and events like the annual Globe Summit. Direct subscriber base has reached its highest total since 2008, indicating successful digital transformation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• STAT: Health news publication that won George Polk Awards alongside the Globe
• Boston Globe Spotlight
• Globe Summit
• Power Play
• Globe Games
• Varsity News
• Globe Magazine
• Starting Point
• Minuteman Library Network Partnership

Products and services

• The Boston Globe Newspaper Flagship daily newspaper published in print and digital formats covering news, sports, business, arts, lifestyle, and opinion for the Greater Boston area and beyond.
• Boston Globe Digital Subscription
• Boston Globe ePaper
• Boston Globe Mobile App
• Power Play Newsletter
• Varsity News Newsletter
• Globe Games
• Boston Globe Magazine
• Say More Podcast
• Globe Summit
• Boston.com
• STAT

Quantifiable outcome

• Direct subscriber base reached highest total since 2008
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• Minuteman Library NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 February 2026Partnership to provide free digital access to The Boston Globe for cardholders at 40+ libraries in the Boston area including Westwood, Natick, Cambridge, and Newton. Offers 72-hour digital passes to Globe.com with maximum 500 passes available on first-come, first-served basis.
• The Sports MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2026Partnership to open 'Glory Days,' a year-long exhibit in Boston showcasing top moments in Massachusetts high school sports from the 2025-26 season, featuring photographs capturing competition, teamwork, and celebration.
• Boston Public LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExisting partnership providing free digital access to The Boston Globe, building on the newspaper's mission to expand access to journalism.
• SanofimajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor of The Boston Globe's 2026 Health Equity Summit scheduled for May 13 at Harvard University, convening health experts, medical professionals, and community advocates.
• CareQuest Institute for Oral HealthminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of The Boston Globe's 2026 Health Equity Summit focusing on health disparities and inclusive care.
• Dana-Farber Cancer InstituteminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of The Boston Globe's 2026 Health Equity Summit.
• EliotminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of The Boston Globe's 2026 Health Equity Summit.
• Johnson & JohnsonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of The Boston Globe's 2026 Health Equity Summit.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The New York Times: The largest legacy metropolitan newspaper, with a similar paid digital subscription model, bundled news products, and successful print-to-digital transformation. Closely comparable in business model, though materially larger and national in scope.
• The Washington Post: Major metropolitan daily with national reach, strong investigative journalism tradition (Pulitzer pedigree), and paid digital subscription strategy. Operates in the same news publishing category with overlapping enterprise/event sponsorships.
• Chicago Tribune: Legacy metropolitan daily serving a single major U.S. metro, owned by Tribune Publishing (Alden Global). Comparable audience profile and historical reliance on print advertising transitioning to digital subscriptions.
• Los Angeles Times: Major West Coast metropolitan newspaper recently reacquired by local ownership (Patrick Soon-Shiong). Similar legacy brand, regional subscriber base, and ongoing digital subscription build-out.
• Gannett / USA Today: Largest U.S. newspaper chain publishing USA Today and hundreds of local titles; competes for national advertising and digital subscription dollars with similar bundled subscription products.
• The Philadelphia Inquirer: Legacy regional metropolitan daily serving the Philadelphia metro under a nonprofit ownership structure (The Lenfest Institute). Comparable audience scale, content mix, and paid digital subscription model.
• Tribune Publishing: Multi-title metropolitan newspaper chain (Chicago Tribune, NY Daily News, Baltimore Sun, etc.) under Alden Global Capital. Closely comparable legacy print portfolio facing the same digital transition challenges.
• The Guardian: Global legacy newspaper with a strong reader-funded digital subscription model and award-winning investigative team. Comparable editorial mission, brand reputation, and digital subscription transition.

Broad incumbents

• Hearst Newspapers: Division of Hearst Corporation operating a portfolio of metropolitan dailies (Houston Chronicle, San Francisco Chronicle, etc.) with broader portfolio of business media. Comparable newspaper operations and digital subscription strategy at greater scale.
• News Corp: Owner of The Wall Street Journal, New York Post, and other major mastheads; competes for premium business and political audiences with deeper resources, broader reach, and a more developed digital subscription stack.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/globe
• Instagraminstagram.com/bostonglobe
• Xx.com/BostonGlobe
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/TheBostonGlobe
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-boston-globe

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Boston Globe