Sunday 9 November 2025
When the numbers get serious
This week New York Times announced another enviable growth result: 460 thousand new subscriptions in the last quarter, for a total of more than twelve million, and the target of reaching fifteen in 2027. This announcement has been happening for some time, as the company dedicates its commitment to the “digital transition” primarily for the sake of the sustainability of its economy (the digital transition is still sometimes cited – in Italian newspapers – as a content transition: but today what matters most is the transition of the business model, from paper advertising revenues to subscription revenues to digital editions and online services). And, thanks to the richness and unique quality of its offering (which includes interesting, less journalistic sections, such as gaming and cooking), the New York Times continues to show unique growth and enriches its company.
However, on this occasion, the announcement shows an interesting element of an often overlooked aspect related to communicating the number of subscribers to digital editions of newspapers. The American Bulletin called Breaker noted that in an extended press release New York Times it is only slightly explained that a “family” newspaper subscription (accessible to some at a special price offer) counts as two subscriptions. And according to the figures shown, there should be about 240 thousand “subscriptions” (a small part was already added in the previous quarter) which actually means half.
The indication is interesting because it shows that New York Times – which is a listed company – felt compelled, even though it was very small, to give a precise indication of its calculation criteria. The same cannot be said for many publishing companies that offer cyclical communications regarding the number of their subscribers, without the number having any certification or explanation: it is never stated how the subscriptions are distributed in terms of different offers and prices, duration, or even how many of them will be automatically renewed or will expire in the near future. This makes assessment of the true value of the figures communicated and comparisons between the results of one newspaper and another fragile.
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