The New York Times is exploring bundled subscription partnerships with smaller publishers to expand its subscriber base in the U.S., sources told Axios.
Why it matters: The Times has been using partnerships to bolster its international subscriber base for the last few months. Now, it’s in the early stages of bringing that strategy to the U.S. by focusing on deals that offer access to its lifestyle subscription products, such as cooking, games and sports.
State of play: The Times recently reached out to The Ankler, a digital news startup covering Hollywood and the entertainment industry, about a deal that would have given The Ankler subscribers access to its subscription games content, two sources familiar with the pitch told Axios.
Zoom out: The partnership did not ultimately materialize, but the pitch provides a unique window into the Times’ subscription growth strategy.
By the numbers: The Times has over 11 million total subscribers, 10.5 million of which are digital-only. It hopes to reach 15 million subscribers by 2027.
Between the lines: The Times’ most engaged subscribers, according to data presented to its investors in 2022, are those who subscribe to multiple subscription products, or its broader subscription bundle.
The big picture: The Times has been building a suite of subscription products, both organically and through acquisitions, for the past few years.
What to watch: Other U.S. media brands have explored partner subscriptions as the paid journalism market becomes more saturated.
Editor’s note: This story has been corrected to say there are over 11 million total subscribers (not 11,090), of which 10.5 million (not 10,470) are digital-only.
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