The New York Times surpassed 13 million subscribers in the first quarter of 2026, driven by strong digital growth and advertising momentum that lifted the company’s earnings well above analyst expectations.
The publisher reported total revenue of $712.2 million for Q1 2026, up 12% year-over-year and exceeding analyst expectations. Adjusted operating profit climbed 27.2% to $117.9 million, while adjusted earnings per share hit $0.61, significantly outpacing the consensus forecast of $0.47.
Digital subscription growth powered the milestone. The company added approximately 310,000 digital-only subscribers during the quarter, bringing its total paid digital base to around 12.5 million. Print subscribers, by contrast, declined to 560,000 from 600,000 a year earlier, reflecting the broader industry shift away from print.
Digital advertising revenue accelerated sharply, jumping 31.6% year-over-year to $93.3 million. This marked the second consecutive quarter of outsized ad growth, signaling renewed advertiser confidence in the platform’s ability to reach engaged audiences. Total subscription revenue rose 11% to $516.9 million, with digital-only subscription revenues growing 16.1% year-over-year to $389 million.
The earnings beat comes as the New York Times pursues an ambitious subscriber target. The company has stated it aims to reach 15 million total subscribers by the end of 2027, up from the 13.08 million it reported at the close of Q1 2026. At the current pace, the publisher is on track to hit that goal, having grown from 11.09 million subscribers at the end of Q3 2024.
The Q1 results reflect a strategic shift toward bundled offerings and higher-value subscription tiers. The company has introduced family plans and expanded its bundle strategy to include access to Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter, and The Athletic alongside its core news product, aiming to increase average revenue per user and reduce churn.
Sources
- The New York Times — Q1 2026 earnings announcement and financial results
- Reuters — Reporting on Q1 2026 subscriber milestone and earnings beat
- Bloomberg — Coverage of subscriber growth and stock response
- ADWEEK — Analysis of digital advertising revenue growth
- Zacks Investment Research — Earnings beat and subscriber addition details
- Yahoo Finance — Financial metrics and year-over-year comparisons
- The Wrap — Subscriber milestone and digital-only addition figures
