I sat down with Tusar Barik, the SVP of Marketing at the New York Times, who's just past his first year in this newly created role. We explored how the Times has transformed from a traditional newspaper into a multifaceted media company spanning news, games, podcasts, cooking, sports, and more. Tusar leads a comprehensive team managing everything from measurement and data insights to product marketing, editorial advertising opportunities, and traditional communications. What struck me most was learning that the Times now reaches over 150 million registered users with 50 to 100 million weekly engagers, seeing the highest growth among Gen Z adults and audiences in the Midwest and South. The digital advertising business delivered over 20% year-over-year growth, proving that quality journalism and a direct relationship with readers creates a powerhouse advertising platform.
We dove deep into how the Times is meeting consumers where they are through video-forward strategies, producing over 75 hours of professional video monthly and transforming podcasts into multimodal shows available as both audio and video. Tusar shared insights on their Brand Match generative AI product that delivers 30% improvements in both click-through rates and brand lift by intelligently matching advertiser briefs with the right content. We explored how games like Wordle have been part of the Times' DNA since the 1940s crossword, how The Daily creates deeply personal connections with millions, and why the Times sees itself as a solar system with news at the center. The conversation revealed a company that's successfully balanced subscription-first strategy with a thriving advertising business by staying true to its mission while innovating how it reaches and serves audiences.
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Key Highlights
- 📈 Unprecedented Scale & Growth: The Times now has over 12 million subscribers, 150 million registered users, and 50-100 million weekly engagers, with the highest growth coming from Gen Z adults and the Midwest/South, driving 20% digital advertising growth year-over-year.
- 🤖 AI-Powered Brand Match: Tusar revealed their generative AI product that ingests advertiser RFPs and dynamically matches campaigns with the right content as it's produced, delivering 30%+ improvements in both click-through rates and brand lift.
- 🎥 Video-First Evolution: The Times produces over 75 hours of professional video content monthly and has transformed audio podcasts into multimodal shows, recently launching a Watch tab in the app that creates new premium advertising inventory.
- 🎮 Games as Core DNA: Gaming has been part of the Times since the 1940s crossword during World War II. Today, over 2,000 people per minute share their Wordle scores, and games advertising drives 21% awareness lift and 30%+ brand consideration growth when combined with news.
- 🎙️ The Daily's Emotional Connection: Tusar shared a touching story about how Michael Barbaro's voice became a source of comfort for a reader who listened every morning while visiting her ailing father in the hospital for months, illustrating the deep personal relationships the Times builds.
- 📊 Measurement Playbook Approach: The Times developed a comprehensive measurement strategy offering everything from MMM models for large advertisers to trending metrics for smaller campaigns, with solutions packages that span audio, video, and display inventory.
- 🌐 Portfolio Beyond News: The Times has evolved into a solar system with news at the center, expanding into The Athletic (largest sports newsroom globally), Cooking, Games, Wirecutter, and more, each creating unique advertising entry points and audience segments.
- 💼 Programmatic Done Right: The Times views programmatic as workflow pipes to reduce friction, not as a race to the bottom on CPMs. They've invested significantly in the past 18 months while maintaining quality standards and brand safety for advertisers.
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Resources & Next Steps
🔗 Follow Tusar Barrick on LinkedIn
🎧 Subscribe to Next in Media on Apple Podcasts
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YouTube Chapter Timestamps
00:00 Elemental TV ad
00:48 Introduction and guest overview
01:50 Welcome to Next in Media
02:03 Tor's role and first year at the Times
04:19 The Times' evolution beyond news
05:07 Core mission and solar system approach
06:25 Audience scale: 150M registered users
07:39 20% digital ad growth and earnings
08:58 AI and Brand Match product
10:46 Brand Match performance results
11:31 Podcasting and The Daily's impact
13:06 Michael Barbaro's emotional connection story
14:02 Audio and video evolution
15:31 Video production stats and strategy
16:14 Navigating agency relationships
17:44 Solutions-based approach to advertising
18:01 Measurement playbook and strategies
19:47 Outcome-based measurement approach
20:59 Sabio ad
21:05 Talent and newsletter strategy
23:48 Gaming portfolio and DNA since 1940s
26:03 The Athletic and portfolio expansion
27:04 Games advertising opportunities
28:28 Programmatic strategy and philosophy
30:29 Video strategy and Watch tab launch
33:49 Video advertising opportunities
34:12 Closing thoughts and wrap-up
34:24 Outro and thanks
Next in Media 