New York Times Company Continues to Add Online Subscribers as Digital Advertising Grows

The New York Times Company on Wednesday reported first-quarter results that were better than expected, as gains in digital advertising and subscriptions outpaced the inexorable decline of its once-mighty print business. The total number of paid subscriptions, including digital and print, topped 4.5 million, a high. More than 3.5 million people pay for the publisher’s online products, with the company adding 223,000 customers for its news, crossword and cooking apps during the quarter, a 29 percent increase over last year. Revenue generated by online advertising was a bright spot. It rose 19 percent, to $55 million, helped by the company’s podcast business, notably “The Daily.” Revenue from the paper’s digital subscription and advertising businesses combined rose 16 percent, to $165.4 million. (The company does not disclose specific figures for its podcast business.)