# New York Times in exclusive talks to buy Letterboxd, $330M

> The New York Times Company is reportedly in exclusive talks to buy Letterboxd for about $330 million. Here is what is confirmed and what could change.

By Subhajit | 2026-11-06 | Movies | Savvy VibeZ
Web page: https://savvyvibez.com/post/new-york-times-in-exclusive-talks-to-buy-letterboxd-330m

## Key takeaways

- The New York Times reported on Nov. 5, 2026 that the Times Company is in exclusive talks to buy Letterboxd for about $330 million; no deal is announced.
- Deadline reports A24, the last other main bidder, is out; the report says founders may stay in charge under a Times executive.
- Letterboxd would likely stay standalone for the foreseeable future, per the Times report, with Times ad technology added.

As of Nov. 6, 2026, the New York Times Company is reported to be in exclusive talks to buy Letterboxd, the social network where film fans log and review what they watch. The New York Times reported on Thursday, Nov. 5, that the price is about $330 million, citing two people familiar with the discussions. No deal has been announced, and neither side has confirmed one.

## What is the New York Times buying, and for how much?

Letterboxd is a film diary and review site with a large and very active audience. According to TheWrap, it passed 30.7 million members by the end of the second quarter, up 43% from a year earlier, and its figure is now closer to 35 million. The Times and others report that the site is expected to earn about $15 million before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization this year. A $330 million price works out to roughly 22 times that figure, which is why several outlets describe it as a rich valuation.

The seller is Tiny, the Canadian holding company that took a 60% stake in 2023. Deadline reports that co-founders Matthew Buchanan and Karl von Randow each still own 20%, and that it is not clear whether the Times bid includes their shares. The field of bidders has thinned a lot since September, when Sony, A24, Netflix and Paramount were all named as possible buyers.

## What would change for Letterboxd users?

Probably not much at first. The Verge, summarizing the Times report, says the talks include the possibility that the two founders stay in charge while reporting to a Times Company executive. The report adds that Letterboxd would likely stay a standalone product for the foreseeable future, and that the Times would bring its own advertising technology to the site.

That last point is the one regular users will notice, if anything does. How the Times would change memberships or ads is not in the public reporting, so treat any claim about new paywalls or heavier ad loads as speculation.

The Times has done this before. The Verge lists Wordle, which the Times bought in a deal it described as in the low seven figures, Wirecutter at slightly more than $30 million, and The Athletic at $550 million. Letterboxd would sit closer to The Athletic in price than to the others.

## What is confirmed and what is not?

- Reported by the Times and relayed by Reuters, The Verge, Variety and Deadline: exclusive talks at about $330 million.
- Reported by Deadline: A24, the last other bidder in the main process, is out of the running.
- Reported by Deadline: LionTree is running the sale for Tiny, and a nonprofit called Intrinsic Entertainment says it was weeks from a $300 million offer.
- Not confirmed: a signed agreement, a closing date, regulatory review or any change to Letterboxd's pricing.

A Times Company spokesperson declined to comment to The Verge, and Letterboxd and Tiny had not responded when those reports went out.

## Our take

This is opinion. Letterboxd's value is its community, and a community that likes the site because it feels independent can be unforgiving. Deadline says A24 had promised to leave the business model alone, and TheWrap reported earlier that the Times was seen as a neutral custodian, so the early signal is that the buyer wants to keep things as they are. The test will come later, when the ad technology arrives and the first membership price change lands.

For now, nothing on the site changes. If a deal is announced, expect the details on pricing and leadership to come with it.

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Picture credit: Letterboxd logo. Design: Savvy VibeZ