New York Times

What New York Times does

The New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT) is a publicly-traded global media organization founded in 1851, headquartered in New York City with operations spanning 31 international bureaus and journalists reporting from 155 countries. The company operates as a multi-product subscription platform serving over 13 million total subscribers — including 12.8 million digital subscribers as of Q4 2025 — across 230 countries and territories, with a portfolio that includes its flagship news product, The Athletic (sports journalism, acquired in 2022 for approximately $500 million), NYT Games (Wordle, Connections, Strands, and the new Crossplay multiplayer game), NYT Cooking (25,000+ recipes with AI-powered scaling), Wirecutter (product reviews), The Daily podcast, and The New York Times Magazine. Approximately 6,000 employees support these operations, including a $2 billion+ annual newsroom investment producing nearly half a million original works per year.

The company's technology stack is digital-first, distributing content across web, mobile applications (iOS and Android), dedicated games apps, and emerging channels including airline seat-back screens through its Delta Air Lines partnership. The business model is anchored in subscription revenue — digital subscription revenues surpassed $2 billion for the first time in 2025 — supplemented by digital advertising ($147.2 million in Q4 2025, growing 25% year-over-year), content licensing deals with AI companies (Amazon's Rufus integration), brand licensing through NYTLicensing, and merchandise sales. The go-to-market strategy combines product-led growth (Wordle as a viral top-of-funnel acquisition engine), direct-to-consumer subscription sales, and B2B sales through advertising, T Brand Studio branded content, programmatic partnerships with Magnite, and AI/data licensing.

The company exhibits operating leverage and ongoing diversification: 17% net income growth and 21% adjusted operating profit growth in 2025, with Q1 2026 revenue of $712.24 million beating analyst expectations. Recent strategic positioning has emphasized new revenue streams through AI licensing, in-game advertising (Crossplay with JPMorganChase), entertainment partnerships (the Wordle TV game show with NBC), and distribution partnerships (Delta Air Lines). The company faces structural headwinds in traditional search referral traffic — management has noted that converting Google users is "10x harder" than a decade ago — making its direct subscription acquisition, product bundling, and owned-channel diversification strategy increasingly central to the economic model.

Name

New York Times

Legal name

The New York Times Company

Website

https://nytco.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1851

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT) is a global media organization serving 13 million+ subscribers across 230 countries with subscription news, sports coverage (The Athletic), word games (Wordle, Connections), cooking, and product reviews (Wirecutter). Founded in 1851, with 6,000 employees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital News and Media

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (513110), Periodical Publishers (513120)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAJADAA

National & General-Interest Newspapers (Print & Digital)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/News Publishing (Newspapers, Digital Newsrooms, Wire Services)

SECONDARYMPAJADAD

Consumer News & Digital Newsrooms (Web/App-First)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/News Publishing (Newspapers, Digital Newsrooms, Wire Services)

SECONDARYMPAJAMAD

Digital Magazine & Newspaper Subscription Platforms (Paywalls, Membership)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/Digital Publishing Platforms (E-books & Online Articles)

SECONDARYMPAJADAK

Data Journalism & News Intelligence Publishers (Indexes, Election/Market Data)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/News Publishing (Newspapers, Digital Newsrooms, Wire Services)

Keywords

• Digital news subscriptions
• Online journalism
• Word puzzle games
• Digital advertising
• Content licensing

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Digital Subscriptions: Digital-only subscriptions represent the primary revenue driver. The company reached 12.8 million digital subscribers and over 13 million total subscribers, with digital revenues surpassing $2 billion annually. Subscriptions include bundled offerings combining Games, Cooking, and The Athletic with traditional news.
2. Digital Advertising: Digital advertising revenue reached $147.2 million in Q4 alone, growing 25% year-over-year. The company has expanded into in-game advertising through its Crossplay product and programmatic advertising via Magnite partnership.
3. Content Licensing: The Times has signed licensing agreements with AI companies including Amazon and is engaged in ongoing copyright litigation against OpenAI, Microsoft, and Perplexity. The company has also signed deals for content licensing to AI platforms.
4. Games Revenue: NYT Games, including Wordle, Connections, Strands, and the new Crossplay multiplayer game, represents a growing revenue stream with first in-game advertising and premium subscription features.
5. Licensing and Merchandising: The Times licenses its brand, logo, archive photography, and content through NYTLicensing. The company also operates the NYT Store selling merchandise featuring Times branding, games products, and cooking content.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The New York Times Company operates a digital-first subscription media platform offering independent journalism, sports coverage, word puzzle games, recipes, and product reviews. Core products include the flagship New York Times news subscription, The Athletic for sports, NYT Games (Wordle, Connections, Strands, Crossplay, Midi), NYT Cooking, Wirecutter, and The Daily podcast, monetized primarily through consumer subscriptions and digital advertising.

Product overview

The New York Times Company operates as a multi-platform media organization offering a unified subscription bundle that includes core news (The New York Times), sports coverage (The Athletic), word games (NYT Games including Wordle, Connections, Strands, and Crossplay), recipes (NYT Cooking), and product recommendations (Wirecutter). The portfolio also includes audio products like The Daily podcast and advertising services through T Brand Studio and Magnite programmatic integration. The company recently expanded into in-game advertising with Crossplay and launched AI-powered features including recipe scaling in Cooking and internal podcast summarization tools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Athletic: Sports media subscription service covering professional and collegiate sports
• NYT Games
• NYT Cooking
• Wirecutter
• The New York Times Magazine
• The Daily

Products and services

• The New York Times (Core News Subscription) Digital and print subscription offering flagship independent journalism from 155 countries, with digital revenues surpassing $2 billion in 2025 and 12.8 million digital subscribers.
• The Athletic Comprehensive sports journalism covering NFL, NBA, soccer, World Cup, and other leagues, distributed via NYT subscription bundle and won a 2026 Pulitzer Prize for Audio Reporting for the 'Pablo Torre Finds Out' podcast.
• NYT Games Portfolio of word puzzle games including Wordle, Connections, Strands, Pips, and the Connections Sports Edition, available on web, mobile, and dedicated Crossplay app.
• Crossplay Multiplayer 2-player word game launched in January 2026 as a dedicated app, featuring the first in-game advertising format that appears mid-gameplay rather than pre-game.
• NYT Midi Crossword New crossword product introduced by NYT Games in March 2026, expanding the daily puzzle portfolio.
• NYT Cooking Recipe platform with over 25,000 recipes and AI-powered recipe scaling launched in January 2026, accessible via web and mobile apps.
• Wirecutter Product recommendation and review service helping consumers make informed purchasing decisions across multiple product categories, bundled within NYT subscription.
• The Daily Podcast Flagship daily news podcast hosted by Sabrina Tavernise, expanded with Sunday episodes and produced in partnership with Meadowlark Media; won a 2026 Pulitzer Prize for Audio Reporting via The Athletic's 'Pablo Torre Finds Out'.
• NYT Subscription Bundle Subscription bundle combining The New York Times news, The Athletic sports coverage, NYT Games, and NYT Cooking into a single subscription offering that increases customer lifetime value and reduces churn.
• NYTLicensing Brand, logo, archive photography, and content licensing business operated by The New York Times, also encompassing the NYT Store merchandise operation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 12.8 million digital subscribers as of Q4 2025
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• NBC/Universal TelevisionflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026NBC and NYT are partnering to bring Wordle to television as a prime-time game show. Savannah Guthrie will host, with production by Jimmy Fallon's Electric Hot Dog company and NYT. Half-hour episodes filmed in Manchester, England starting June 2026 for 2027 airing, representing NYT's first partnership with a major broadcaster for prime-time entertainment.
• Electric Hot DogflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026Jimmy Fallon's production company Electric Hot Dog will produce the Wordle TV game show alongside NYT and NBC Universal Television Alternative Studio.
• Delta Air LinesflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026NYT and Delta partnered to offer free NYT products to Delta SkyMiles members via airline seat-back screens and personal devices using Delta's Wi-Fi. This represents the first time NYT content is distributed through an airline's entertainment system, expanding reach to captive travelers.
• JPMorganChaseflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 March 2026JPMorganChase served as the launch partner for Crossplay, NYT's first in-game advertising experience within the Games app. The sponsorship reflects NYT's strategy to monetize Games offerings while addressing advertiser concerns about brand safety.
• MagnitecoreTechnology or Integration · 1 February 2026NYT Advertising expanded its strategic collaboration with Magnite's DV+ platform, making it the preferred platform for private marketplace deals for NYT's mobile in-app advertising inventory. The partnership enables advertisers to access NYT's premium app audiences programmatically, with NYT reporting 19% YoY increase in click-through rates.
• AmazonflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025NYT and Amazon announced a licensing agreement allowing Amazon to use NYT journalism content for its Rufus shopping assistant. This represents a significant AI content licensing deal following industry trends.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights10 records

Direct peers

• Bloomberg Media: Subscription-driven news and data publisher serving business and professional audiences, with overlapping advertising, subscription, and content-licensing revenue models.
• The Guardian: Digital-first national news publisher with a reader-funded subscription model, comparable as a peer in transitioning from print legacy to a subscription and membership-supported digital business.
• The Washington Post: National general-interest newspaper and digital subscription news product, directly comparable as a subscription-driven national news publisher competing for the same premium US reader base.
• The Wall Street Journal (News Corp): Daily national newspaper with a successful digital subscription model and a broad news + lifestyle bundle, directly comparable in subscription strategy, advertising mix, and premium news positioning.
• Gannett / USA Today: Largest US newspaper chain operating USA Today and hundreds of local titles, comparable as a national-and-local news subscription and advertising business.

Broad incumbents

• Thomson Reuters: News and data provider combining wire services, professional publishing, and subscription data products, overlapping with NYT on subscription and content-licensing models.
• Axel Springer: European news publisher (Bild, Welt, Politico, Business Insider) pursuing an aggressive digital subscription and AI-licensing playbook, comparable as a global subscription-news incumbent.
• News Corp: Global media conglomerate that owns WSJ, Dow Jones, HarperCollins, and Foxtel, providing a broad-incumbent comparison point for NYT's diversification across subscription, advertising, and licensing.

Emerging players

• Substack: Subscription-newsletter platform enabling independent writers to monetize directly with readers, comparable as an emerging subscription-news business targeting premium-paying audiences.
• Wirecutter (NYT subsidiary) competitive set: Consumer Reports: Subscription-supported product-review publisher, partially overlapping with NYT's Wirecutter product review subscription and useful as a peer for that segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nytimes
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@nytimes
• Facebookfacebook.com/nytimes
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-new-york-times
• Instagraminstagram.com/nytimes
• TikToktiktok.com/@nytimes

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about New York Times