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NEW York Times Co.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 4 February 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 8 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue rose 10.4 percent: Total revenues were $802.3 million, up from $726.6 million. Full-year revenues were $2,824.9 million, up 9.2 percent from $2,585.9 million. Source
  • Operating profit rose 10.2 percent: Operating profit was $161.6 million. Adjusted operating profit was $192.3 million, up 12.8 percent. Full-year operating profit rose 22.9 percent to $431.6 million. Source
  • Digital subscribers reached 12.21 million: Net additions were about 450,000 in the quarter and about 1.4 million from a year earlier. Total subscribers, including print, were 12.78 million. Source
  • Digital advertising rose 24.9 percent: Digital advertising revenues were $147.2 million. Management attributed the growth to marketer demand and new advertising supply. Full-year digital advertising rose 20.0 percent. Source
  • Adjusted operating costs up 9.7 percent: Adjusted operating costs rose to $610.0 million. Total operating costs rose 10.5 percent to $640.7 million, including special items. Source
  • Adjusted margin rose 50 basis points: Adjusted operating profit margin was 24.0 percent, up about 50 basis points. GAAP operating margin was 20.1 percent, down about 10 basis points. Full-year adjusted margin was 19.5 percent, up 190 basis points. Source
  • Free cash flow rose to $550.5 million: Full-year net cash from operations was $584.5 million, up from $410.5 million, and free cash flow was $550.5 million, up from $381.3 million. Source

“The fourth quarter capped another strong year for The Times, and our results demonstrated that our strategy continues to work as designed.”

Meredith Kopit Levien, president and chief executive officer, The New York Times Company

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Digital-only subscription revenues Sourcefirst quarter of 2026 vs first quarter of 2025increase 14 - 17%New
Total subscription revenues Sourcefirst quarter of 2026 vs first quarter of 2025increase 9 - 11%New
Total advertising revenues Sourcefirst quarter of 2026 vs first quarter of 2025increase low-double-digitsNew
Affiliate, licensing and other revenues Sourcefirst quarter of 2026 vs first quarter of 2025increase high-single-digitsNew
Adjusted operating costs Sourcefirst quarter of 2026 vs first quarter of 2025increase 8 - 9%New
Depreciation and amortization Sourcefull year 2026, pre-taxapproximately $80-$85 million, including approximately $25-$30 million of acquired intangible assets amortizationNew
Interest income and other, net Sourcefull year 2026, pre-taxapproximately $40-$45 millionNew
Capital expenditures Sourcefull year 2026, pre-taxapproximately $35-$45 millionNew

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: First-quarter 2026 guidance was given for revenue lines and adjusted operating costs. The prior release covered fourth-quarter 2025. Source
  • New guidance: Pre-tax expectations were given for full-year 2026 depreciation and amortization, interest income and other, and capital expenditures. Source
  • Ended: After the fourth quarter of 2025, the company stops reporting digital-only subscribers and ARPU by bundle, news-only, other single-product, and group and family categories. Source
  • New: Quarterly dividend raised to $0.23 per share from $0.18 in the prior period. Source
  • New: Generative AI litigation costs now refer to certain lawsuits. The prior release described a single lawsuit against Microsoft Corporation and OpenAI. Source

Revenue and profit growth

  • Revenue rose 10.4 percent: Total revenues were $802.3 million, up from $726.6 million. Full-year revenues were $2,824.9 million, up 9.2 percent from $2,585.9 million. Source
  • Operating profit rose 10.2 percent: Operating profit was $161.6 million. Adjusted operating profit was $192.3 million, up 12.8 percent. Full-year operating profit rose 22.9 percent to $431.6 million. Source
  • Diluted EPS rose to $0.79: Adjusted diluted EPS was $0.89, against $0.80 a year earlier. Full-year diluted EPS was $2.09, against $1.77, and full-year adjusted diluted EPS was $2.46. Source

Subscribers and digital pricing

  • Digital subscribers reached 12.21 million: Net additions were about 450,000 in the quarter and about 1.4 million from a year earlier. Total subscribers, including print, were 12.78 million. Source
  • Digital ARPU rose 0.7 percent: Total digital-only ARPU was $9.72, against $9.65 a year earlier. Management attributed the change to subscribers moving from promotional to higher prices and price increases on certain tenured subscribers. Source
  • Bundles drove digital revenue growth: Digital-only subscription revenues rose 13.9 percent to $381.5 million, from bundle, multiproduct and other single-product revenue, partly offset by lower news-only revenue. Bundle and multiproduct subscribers were 6.48 million. Source
  • Print subscription revenue declined: Print subscription revenues fell 2.0 percent to $129.0 million. Print subscribers were 570,000 at year-end, down from 610,000 a year earlier. Source

“Our world-class news coverage and premium lifestyle products proved more valuable to more people in 2025.”

Meredith Kopit Levien, president and chief executive officer, The New York Times Company

Advertising and licensing demand

  • Digital advertising rose 24.9 percent: Digital advertising revenues were $147.2 million. Management attributed the growth to marketer demand and new advertising supply. Full-year digital advertising rose 20.0 percent. Source
  • Print advertising declined: Print advertising revenues fell 5.8 percent to $44.4 million. Total advertising revenues rose 16.1 percent to $191.7 million. Source
  • Licensing lifted affiliate revenue: Affiliate, licensing and other revenues rose 5.5 percent to $100.2 million. Digital affiliate, licensing and other revenues, mainly Wirecutter referrals and digital licensing, totaled $66.2 million. Source

Operating cost lines

  • Adjusted operating costs up 9.7 percent: Adjusted operating costs rose to $610.0 million. Total operating costs rose 10.5 percent to $640.7 million, including special items. Source
  • Cost of revenue rose on journalism: Cost of revenue rose 8.6 percent to $367.2 million. Source
  • General and administrative costs up 17.0 percent: General and administrative costs rose to $89.0 million from $76.0 million, mainly on compensation, benefits and severance. Product development costs rose 8.3 percent to $66.9 million. Source
  • Media spend rose modestly: Media expenses, the subscription promotion cost within sales and marketing, were $47.2 million. Total sales and marketing rose 11.5 percent to $92.4 million. Source

“We have confidence that in 2026, we can deliver another year of healthy growth in subscribers, revenue, and profitability, as well as strong free cash flow.”

Meredith Kopit Levien, president and chief executive officer, The New York Times Company

Margins and below-the-line items

  • Adjusted margin rose 50 basis points: Adjusted operating profit margin was 24.0 percent, up about 50 basis points. GAAP operating margin was 20.1 percent, down about 10 basis points. Full-year adjusted margin was 19.5 percent, up 190 basis points. Source
  • Adjusted measures exclude special items: Adjusted measures exclude depreciation, amortization, severance, multiemployer pension withdrawal costs and special items such as generative AI litigation costs. Source
  • Tax rate rose to 22.5 percent: Income tax expense was $37.8 million, against $31.9 million, mainly on higher pre-tax income. The effective rate was 22.5 percent, against 20.5 percent. Source
  • Interest income edged up: Interest income and other, net was $10.7 million, up from $10.0 million, on higher cash and marketable securities balances. Source

Cash flow and capital returns

  • Free cash flow rose to $550.5 million: Full-year net cash from operations was $584.5 million, up from $410.5 million, and free cash flow was $550.5 million, up from $381.3 million. Source
  • Lower cash taxes lifted operating cash: Operating cash flow was affected by lower cash tax payments under the OBBBA. It also included about $33 million of net proceeds from the College Point land sale, finalized in February 2025. Source
  • Cash and securities reached $1.2 billion: Cash and marketable securities rose $256.0 million from year-end 2024. The company had no outstanding borrowings under its $400 million unsecured revolving line of credit. Source
  • Share repurchases stepped up in quarter: The company repurchased 883,602 shares for about $55.4 million, up from 482,833 shares for $27.3 million in the third quarter. About $334.4 million remained authorized as of January 30, 2026. Source
  • Capital expenditures were $7 million: Capital expenditures were about $7 million in the quarter, against about $9 million a year earlier. Full-year capital expenditures were $34.0 million. Source

Severance and pension items

  • Severance costs increased: Severance was $4.2 million in the fourth quarter, up from $1.3 million a year earlier, and $9.5 million for full-year 2025. Source
  • Pension liabilities reduced in quarter: A $1.5 million favorable adjustment reduced multiemployer pension plan liabilities in the fourth quarter, against a $3.0 million favorable adjustment a year earlier. Source

Coming up, as management said on 4 February 2026

  • Dividend payable April 16: The $0.23 dividend is payable April 16, 2026, to holders of record at the close of business on April 1, 2026. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Total subscribers Source12.78 million
Digital-only subscribers Source12.21 million
Digital-only net additions (quarter) Source450,000
Bundle and multiproduct digital subscribers Source6.48 million
Total digital-only ARPU Source$9.72

Risks management discussed

  • Regulatory: Generative AI litigation costs were $13.3 million pre-tax for full-year 2025, tied to lawsuits over use of journalism content. Source
  • Operational: Impairment charge on excess leased office space being marketed for sublet. Source
  • Financial: Multiemployer pension plan liabilities produced $3.0 million of net charges for full-year 2025. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: Management says it decided in an earlier period to treat these costs as a special item, and it continues to do so. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.