As legacy publishers face challenges in both survival and expanding their readership, The New York Times tirelessly seeks new ways to broaden its reach. Axios’ Sara Fischer reports that The Gray Lady is looking into bundled subscription partnerships with smaller U.S. publishers to grow their subscriber base.
This initiative isn’t new; they have successfully implemented similar strategies internationally, teaming up with partners like El País in Spain and Politiken in Denmark. Now, as they adapt this approach for the U.S. market, they plan to emphasize partnerships that enhance access to their lifestyle subscription offerings, including cooking, games, and sports. Fischer noted that the Times approached the digital news startup The Ankler to propose a deal that would allow their subscribers to access NYT subscription games content, although that particular arrangement did not materialize, providing insight into their strategic direction.
Additionally, the company is currently seeking an “Enterprise Subscriptions, Partnerships Sales Director” on LinkedIn to likely oversee these partnership efforts. While details are sparse regarding the Times’s sports coverage, digital access to The Athletic might be a valuable incentive within these subscription collaborations.
Currently, The Times boasts over 11 million total subscribers, with approximately 10.5 million being digital-only. In 2022, the company projected reaching 15 million subscribers by 2027. Notably, The Athletic achieved profitability for the first time in the third quarter of 2024.
