8:45 pm - October 27, 2025
The New York Times beat analyst expectations with strong results.
The New York Times added 250,000 digital-only subscribers in the first quarter of 2025, helping push total revenue up 7.1% to $635.9 million and delivering better-than-expected profits despite continued pressure on its print business.
Nearly half of its digital subscribers now take more than one product, a sign that its bundling strategy – which combines news, lifestyle, games, The Athletic and Wirecutter – is gaining traction.
Average revenue per user rose to $9.54, up 3.6% year-on-year. Digital advertising also grew strongly, up 12.4% to $70.9 million. Total ad revenue rose 4.2% to $108.1 million, while revenue from affiliate and licensing – largely from Wirecutter – increased 3.7%.
The Times added more than 1.1 million digital subscribers across 2024, bringing its total to over 11.4 million. Subscription revenue grew 8% over the year as the company moved more users off promotional pricing and towards full-rate bundles.
The Athletic continued its improved performance, with adjusted operating profit of $2.9m compared with a loss of $8.7m the previous year. Its revenues grew 27.9% to $47.6m in the first quarter.
CEO Meredith Kopit Levien said the company’s strategy was delivering “even in the face of continued economic and geopolitical uncertainty.”
The Times has set its sights on reaching 15 million total subscribers, and analysts see momentum in both its subscription and advertising businesses. With digital consumption rising and multi-product engagement growing, the company appears well placed to maintain its trajectory in a shifting media landscape.
Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/07/business/media/new-york-times-adds-250000-digital-subscribers.html – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/new-york-times-forecasts-quarterly-subscription-revenue-growth-above-estimates-2025-05-07/ – In the first quarter of 2025, The New York Times exceeded Wall Street expectations by adding approximately 250,000 digital-only subscribers. This growth was supported by its effective bundling strategy, which combines core news with lifestyle content from Wirecutter, The Athletic, and games like Wordle. The company reported a 7.1% revenue increase to $635.9 million, surpassing estimates, with an adjusted profit of 41 cents per share, ahead of the projected 34 cents. CEO Meredith Kopit Levien highlighted the company’s strategic and resilient growth amid ongoing economic and geopolitical challenges.
- https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/403185/the-new-york-times-added-350000-digital-only-su.html – The New York Times Company reported strong fourth-quarter and full-year results for 2024. Total revenue for 2024 reached $2.5 billion, a 6.6% increase over the prior year, with subscription revenue rising by 8% to $1.7 billion. The company added approximately 350,000 net digital-only subscribers in Q4, bringing the total subscriber base to 11.43 million. Digital-only revenue per user grew by 4.4% year-over-year to $9.65 in Q4, driven by price increases and a transition from promotional to higher prices.
- https://www.straitstimes.com/business/new-york-times-reports-350000-additional-digital-subscribers – The New York Times added 350,000 digital-only subscribers in the last quarter of 2024, pushing the total subscriber count to more than 11.4 million. This growth contributed to an overall revenue increase to $726.6 million in the last three months of 2024, up 7.5% from a year earlier. Annual revenue for 2024 was $2.6 billion, up from $2.4 billion in 2023. Adjusted operating profit for the fourth quarter increased 10.7% to $170.5 million, and for the full year, it was $455.4 million, up 16.8% from 2023.
- https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/how-digital-subscriptions-drive-new-york-times-companys-success – The New York Times Company’s strategy to offer various subscription packages, from basic news access to all-inclusive bundles, has been instrumental in expanding its reach. As of the third quarter of 2024, the company had approximately 11.09 million subscribers across its print and digital products, including 10.47 million digital-only subscribers. Digital-only subscription revenues increased by 14.2% to $322.2 million, reflecting growth in bundle and multi-product revenues and other single-product subscription revenues. The company expects further gains in subscription revenues in the final quarter of 2024.
- https://videoweek.com/2025/02/06/digital-bundles-and-ad-targeting-are-offsetting-new-york-times-declining-print-business/ – Despite a comprehensive digital strategy, declining print subscriptions have been dragging down The New York Times’ revenue growth and share price. Overall revenues for 2024 were up 7%, and the stock fell 13% following the results, suggesting negative sentiment around the declining print business. Total subscription revenues were up 8% in Q4, despite a 16% increase in digital subscriber revenue. The company forecasts total subscriber revenues to climb 7-10% in Q1 2025. The New York Times added 1.1 million digital subscribers in 2024, bringing its total number of subscribers to 11.4 million, putting the publisher further on the path to its target of 15 million.
- https://www.ainvest.com/news/new-york-times-co-a-beacon-of-growth-in-a-changing-media-landscape-250210107a9aecaa9315dec0/ – The New York Times Company experienced significant growth in 2024, with total revenues increasing by approximately 7% and digital subscription revenue rising by approximately 14%. This growth was driven by the company’s diversified revenue streams, including digital subscriptions, digital advertising, affiliate, and licensing. Looking ahead to 2025, the company remains confident in its essential subscription strategy and its ability to maintain and grow its engaged audience. The company expects healthy growth in revenues and adjusted operating profit, as well as continued margin expansion and strong free cash flow generation.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative is recent, referencing events in Q1 2025, which aligns with current news cycles.
Quotes check
Score:
5
Notes:
The narrative includes assertions from CEO Meredith Kopit Levien, but no direct quotes are provided for verification.
Source reliability
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative originates from The New York Times, a highly reputable and well-established publication.
Plausability check
Score:
9
Notes:
The claims about digital subscriber growth and financial performance are plausible, given the context of media industry trends and the strategic focus on digital subscriptions.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative is fresh, originates from a reliable source, and presents plausible claims consistent with current media trends. The lack of direct quotes limits the score for that aspect.
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