I sat down with Tusar Barik, SVP of Marketing at the New York Times, to discuss the paper's transformation into a multifaceted media company. The Times now reaches over 150 million registered users with 50-100 million weekly engagers, seeing strong growth among Gen Z and audiences in the Midwest and South. Their digital advertising business grew over 20% year-over-year, proving that quality journalism creates a powerful advertising platform. We explored their video-forward strategy (75+ hours monthly), their Brand Match AI product (delivering 30% improvements in CTR and brand lift), and how properties like Wordle and The Daily create deep audience connections. The conversation revealed how the Times has balanced subscription-first strategy with thriving advertising by staying true to its mission while innovating how it reaches audiences.
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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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