In 2023, the average weekday print circulation of The New York Times was approximately 279,000 copies, less than half the figure recorded in 2014. In that year, the company ceased publishing its figures based on weekday circulation for print, online, and other digital platforms, and published only its print circulation. The New York Times The New York Times was founded in 1851 and has been a household name in the United States for decades. The newspaper has adapted well to changes in the media industry, and between the final quarters of 2014 and 2020, paid subscribers to The New York Times’ digital only news product increased from 910 thousand to over five million. The New York Times is also one of the world’s leading podcast publishers, with unique streams and downloads of the company’s podcasts reaching tens and sometimes even hundreds of millions per month. Popularity and reliability As one of the most popular news websites in the United States, the NYT has been known to achieve 70 million unique monthly visitors, outperforming the likes of NBC News, The Washington Post, and The Guardian. That said, like many news publications, The New York Times has been the subject of controversy over the years. From accusations of liberal bias to its hiring practices, the newspaper has faced challenges regarding not only its published content but also its employees. In spite of this, just 15 percent of respondents to a survey seriously doubted the credibility of The New York Times, with most finding the publication to be a reliable source.

The average paid print Sunday circulation of the New York Times was 677,000 copies in 2023, down from 745,000 in the previous year. The company's print circulation has been suffering for several years, whilst its digital-only news product has flourished by comparison.

The newspaper with the highest print circulation in the United States in the six months running to September 2023 was The Wall Street Journal, with an average weekday print circulation of 555.2 thousand. Ranking second was The New York Times, followed by The New York Post. The paper in the ranking with the highest year-over-year drop in circulation was The Denver Post with a decline of 25 percent (although Buffalo News recorded a higher drop, data does not refer to September 2022 to September 2023, see notes).

In 2022, The New York Times Company's circulation revenue amounted to more than 1.65 billion U.S. dollars. The company's overall revenue increased consistently between 2012 and 2023, and first surpassed one billion U.S. dollars in 2017. The New York Times has also successfully grown its digital audience.

The New York Times: the switch to digital

As readers moved away from print newspapers to online outlets, The NYT chose to capitalize on this. In early 2014, The New York Times Company’s digital-only news product had fewer than 800 thousand U.S. subscribers, but by the end of 2020 had amassed more than five million.

The NYT online

The company’s website has also performed well in recent years and ranks among the leading global English-language news websites in the United States. NYTimes.com regularly attracts millions of unique visitors each month, and a study on news consumption found that The NYT was one most used online news brands among U.S. adults in early 2021.

In 2024, The New York Times Company generated over 506 million U.S. dollars in advertising revenue, marking a small increase from the previous year but also a clear improvement from the lower results in 2020 and 2021. Meanwhile, The NYT’s subscription revenue continued to grow and surpassed 1.6 billion U.S. dollars for the first time in 2023. The New York Times print circulation According to the company’s financial reports, the average paid weekday print circulation of The New York Times remained above 340 thousand in 2021. A separate report ranked The NYT among the leading newspapers in the United States in terms of weekday print circulation, with more than double that of The Los Angeles Times or The Washington Post. Whilst it is true that The NYT still has considerably more print copies in circulation than other papers, the figures are not what they once were. Back in 2000, The New York Times had an average weekday print circulation of over 1.1 million, and even in 2015, the number was still above 600 thousand. Further annual decreases can be expected as online news content, paid or otherwise, now takes precedence over printed publications. Digital readership The New York Times’ digital subscribers hit the five million mark in the final quarter of 2020, up by around 1,500 from the end of 2019. The company did, however, see a drop in its satisfaction rating between 2019 and 2020. Consumer satisfaction with online news brands generally fell in that time period, but The NYT saw the biggest decrease, losing six points year over year.

The global newspaper industry, valued at $83.28 billion in 2025, is experiencing a period of slow decline, reflected in its negative CAGR of -1.33%. This contraction is primarily driven by the ongoing shift towards digital media consumption and the resulting decline in print readership. The industry is grappling with the challenges of adapting to changing consumer preferences and monetizing digital content effectively. While subscription models offer a degree of stability, the advertising revenue stream, traditionally a major contributor, continues to be significantly impacted by the rise of online advertising platforms. The competitive landscape is characterized by a mix of large, established players like Gannett Co Inc and The New York Times, and smaller, regional publishers. Differentiation strategies often focus on niche content, investigative journalism, and building strong digital communities. Growth opportunities lie in strategic digital transformation, exploring innovative revenue models like paywalls and partnerships, and targeted advertising. The industry's success hinges on its ability to leverage data analytics to understand readership habits, refine content strategies, and increase engagement on digital platforms. Geographic variations exist, with mature markets in North America and Europe exhibiting slower growth than some developing regions, albeit with still substantial market sizes. Despite the challenges, the newspaper industry remains a significant source of information and news. The long-term forecast, however, suggests a continued contraction, albeit at a moderated pace. Key factors influencing the industry's future include the effectiveness of digital transformation strategies, the ability to attract and retain subscribers, and the broader macroeconomic climate. The industry's resilience will be determined by its capacity to adapt to the evolving media landscape and deliver value to readers in a rapidly changing digital environment. Successful players will focus on providing high-quality journalism, innovative digital experiences, and effective audience engagement strategies across multiple platforms. Recent developments include: January 2024: The Big Ten Conference, the United States’ oldest Division I college athletic conference, partnered with the USA TODAY Network to become the Big Ten’s official content partner for a new multi-year agreement between Gannett Co. Inc. and the Big Ten Conference., August 2023: PressReader, the all-you-can-read platform for newspapers and magazines, announced an expansion of its relationship with Gannett Company Inc. This leading subscription-based and digital-first media company offers expanded content.. Key drivers for this market are: Shift from Print to Digital Landscape Transforming the Market's Growth, Social and Political Climate Boosting the Market. Potential restraints include: Shift from Print to Digital Landscape Transforming the Market's Growth, Social and Political Climate Boosting the Market. Notable trends are: The Digital Newspaper and Advertising Markets are Expected to Grow Faster in the Newspaper Industry.

As of June 2024, The Wall Street Journal had over 4.3 million paying subscribers. The majority were online-only subscribers, whilst print readers continued to fall. The Wall Street Journal The Wall Street Journal is a well-respected international newspaper that focuses on business, economics, and politics. The publication is generally seen as a trustworthy source of news and information, with about twice as many people deeming it trustworthy as those that consider it untrustworthy. While measures of trustworthiness can suffer from bias associated with political leanings, accuracy is generally more easily verifiable and thus arguably a better metric for assessing publications of any type. In terms of accuracy, the Wall Street journal ranks extremely high with only around ten percent of people finding it to be inaccurate. Newspaper circulation The Wall Street Journal, as well as The NYTimes, have both successfully managed to cater to both print and digitally focused consumers by becoming multiplatform publications. This is an undoubtedly clever (and perhaps necessary) move in an era where print popularity has waned significantly, as digital readership takes over. The accessibility of smartphone news apps and online news publications have made it difficult for physical newspapers to compete, and although the majority of newspaper circulation revenue still comes from print offerings, companies that wish to continue in the market have been forced to adapt their business strategies to accommodate online-only readers.

Newspaper publishers have struggled to adapt a print-focused business model to a changing media landscape. Digital media outlets continue outperforming their print-focused counterparts but earn less revenue per customer in a market flooded with news websites. This shift has disproportionately impacted local papers, leading to widespread closures and layoffs. In the face of such obstacles, national papers engage in acquisitions to strengthen their subscriber base and leverage the credibility of local newsrooms. Despite these efforts, the struggle to maintain profitability and relevance persists. The industry's contraction has been stark, with a report from Northwestern University indicating that by 2024, one-third of US newspapers that existed in 2005 will have disappeared, leaving more than half of US counties with limited or no access to reliable local news. Newspaper publishing revenue has dropped at an annualized 3.3% over the past five years and is expected to total $29.2 billion in 2025 when revenue will dip an estimated 4.4% with a profit of 9.7%. The departure of print newspaper publishers reflects local papers' inability to attract readers and generate acquisition interest. For larger publishers, mergers and a shift to digital media help companies stay relevant. Consolidation has contributed to restructuring by centralizing various functions, including ad sales, editing and layout. For example, Gannett Co.'s acquisition of New Media Investment Group in 2019 is emblematic of a broader trend as major publishers assimilate local media outlets into their networks. Many newspaper publishers have considered shifting to a non-profit business model. An effort to preserve credible and local journalism has encouraged private donors to become a more significant source of revenue while publishers focus less on profit. Print newspaper sales have plummeted as consumers gravitate towards digital news options that offer greater convenience, digestibility, and mobility. News consumption has steadily moved online, transforming the competitive landscape and forcing traditional publishers to compete with a saturated market of digital entrants. Newspaper publishing will continue struggling despite the influx of digital media. Traditional papers will continue underperforming, while newspapers switching to non-profit models will worry less about financial performance. The industry landscape will fracture as an abundance of minor digital competitors split the subscriber market, decreasing advertising prices. As digital news consumption continues to climb, publishers will prioritize mobile-friendly content to meet changing audience preferences. The industry is likely to see increased regulatory scrutiny, particularly regarding misinformation and privacy, which could impact advertising revenue and operational costs. Ultimately, the Newspaper Publishing industry revenue is forecast to drop at an annualized 5.4% through the end of 2030 to $22.1 billion.

There were 6.54 million paid subscribers to The New York Time Company's digital-only news product in the first quarter of 2023. The trend from the years 2014 to 2022 showed consistent quarterly growth during that time period. New York Times subscriptions New York Times Company's digital-only subscriber number passed the one million mark in 2015, and the number of New York Times digital subscriptions has been steadily rising since the company implemented its pay wall in 2011.

As many newspapers and magazines have been struggling with low circulation in the last few years, paid content in digital formats is one of the solutions to make the business profitable. By 2025, U.S. publishers are predicted to generate about 2.9 billion U.S. dollars in revenues from the sales of digital newspapers. Advertising revenue Traditionally, advertising has been one of the main sources of revenue for the newspaper industry. In recent years however, newspaper advertising expenditure has been consistently declining, pushing newspaper companies to diversify its sources of revenue. For example, more than 60 percent of The New York Times Company's revenue in 2008 was generated by advertising, a share which had dropped to 30 percent by 2016. In 2020, The NYT’s ad revenue fell below 400 million U.S. dollars for the first time.

The New York Times Media Group's subscription revenue amounted to over 453 million U.S. dollars in the third quarter of 2024, up from nearly 419 million in the corresponding quarter of 2023. The New York Times' subscription revenue generally grows steadily over the course of each year, and the figure for Q4 2022 marked the first time that the company's quarterly subscription revenue surpassed 400 million U.S. dollars.

Circulation numbers for daily weekday newspapers peaked in 1987 when they amounted to over 62.82 million. In 2020 however, the paid circulation of daily newspapers was 24.29 million.

Paid circulation of US daily newspapers Since the beginning of the 21st century, the newspaper industry has felt vast repercussions from the transition to the digital information and technology economy. While the number of subscribers and overall circulation has always been important for newspaper publishers, for much of their history they have been supported primarily through their advertising revenues and despite growth in advertising overall, they have largely been unable to capitalize on the continued ad spend growth. Advertising spending in the United States is now predominantly attributed to online advertising.

The New York Times is one of America's biggest newspapers and, despite the decline of the print newspaper industry, the paper has maintained a paid Sunday circulation of over one million copies. As a result, the company's circulation revenue has, despite the bleak outlook of the market, actually increased in recent years, reaching 880 million U.S. dollars in 2016. The New York Times Company recognized the important of the growing digital market and, as a result, the company's digital only news product remains one of its most important segments. As of the end of 2016, this product had over 1.6 million subscribers, a large increase from the 800 thousand subscribers at the start of 2014.

The circulation figures for daily newspapers in the United States reveal that USA Today distributed the most papers as of January 2019, with a daily circulation of over 1.62 million. Back in September 2017, The Wall Street Journal ranked first, with circulation figures far outperforming The New York Times, Chicago Tribune and New York Post. Although the 2019 data shows that all daily newspapers in the top ten ranking saw a decrease in circulation since 2017, the Chicago Tribune was hit the hardest. Despite making the top ten list in both years, the paper’s daily circulation decreased by almost 200 thousand.

The decline of newspaper circulation

It is no secret that print is floundering whilst at the same time digital media is flourishing. However, the impact of falling circulation figures on newspapers has an effect on advertising revenue, as circulation is one of the metrics used to determine and set advertising rates. In 2017, the estimated revenue of newspaper publishers in the United States was almost seven billion dollars lower than in 2010, despite several years of reasonably consistent revenue in terms of subscription and sales.

Similarly, print newspaper publishing revenue in the U.S. dropped by almost ten million dollars in seven years, whilst revenue for online newspapers showed positive growth.

In terms of average time spent each day, TV is the second most used form of media in the United States, with adults spending 197 minutes (more than three hours) watching television on a daily basis according to a study undertaken in April 2021. Digital formats took up the majority of U.S. adults' daily media consumption time, while for newspapers and magazines the average time spent was just ten and eight minutes respectively.

Is print dying?

The reluctance among many print publications to publish their circulation figures tells a story in itself – print consumption is not what it used to be. Whilst many newspapers and magazines have made the move online, those which have not, have fallen behind, and in an increasingly digitized market risk disappearing almost totally from their audience’s view.

Interestingly, 14 percent adults who took part in a study on print media in 2018 admitted that they felt indifferent towards print dying out, and five percent even said that they were happy at the prospect of the medium’s extinction. Despite the majority of respondents stating that they would be sad if print media became obsolete, a resurgence of the print medium looks to be unlikely. Book store and news dealer sales in the U.S. have been on the decline since 2007, and even long-established newspapers like The New York Times have had to protect themselves from the decline of print media by shifting their focus to digital.

Subscriptions to The New York Times’ digital only news product have almost tripled since the end of 2014, evidencing the demand for such products and their potential success. Digital advertising and subscriptions make up a significant amount of the newspaper’s revenue and are necessary for its continued success. Had the NYT stuck to print, the company’s revenue would likely be very different.

How has media consumption changed? 

Since 2011, the daily time spent with major media in the United States has increased by 60 minutes, with the average amount of daily time spent amounting to over half the hours in a day.

Digital media is taking over, with music streaming services like Deezer and Spotify providing hours of entertainment and constantly expanding catalogues of music available at the click of a button. Revenue from music streaming in the U.S. reached 7.4 billion dollars in 2018, an increase of six billion in just five years, and the TV market is undergoing a similar change. Companies like Netflix and Sling TV are growing whilst traditional TV providers are losing subscribers. Streaming revenue, subscriptions and consumption are set to increase exponentially, whereas traditional media like books, print magazines and newspapers are less popular and have been exhibiting negative growth, a trend which is likely to continue in years to come.