The ‘Wordle’ glow up, explained

The New York Times’ bet on games is paying off.

Just seven months after acquiring “Wordle” in a deal in the “low seven figures,” the Times has already brought in an “unprecedented” tens of millions of new users.

The Times’ gaming subscription…

… saw a record Q2, as Wordle players discovered other games, like “Spelling Bee,” “Sudoku,” and “Letter Boxed.”

• Alex Hardiman, NYT’s chief product officer, says, “multiproduct subscribers pay the most and retain best.”

By bundling games and cross-promoting subscriptions throughout the Wordle experience (like showing ads after games), NYT has boosted its core offering, making it more attractive to subscribers.

Case in point: digital multiproduct subscribers increased 26% in Q2.

But that’s just the beginning

Since the acquisition, NYT has made a series of other moves with “Wordle,” including:

• Integrating “Wordle” into its Crossword app last month.
• Partnering with Hasbro on “Wordle: The Party Game,” a board game dropping in October.
• Launching WordleBot, a tool that helps players train their word-guessing skills.

While “Wordle” is still free, the Times has hinted it might make the game exclusive to subscribers — at which point we expect many players will C-H-U-R-N.