KUALA LUMPUR: Crossword puzzles, podcasts and affiliate businesses are increasingly engaging more readers with news sites.
This, say media experts, is contributing to loyalty, new revenue growth and subscriptions to news.
Jonathan Knight, Head of Games at The New York Times (NYT), shared how the publisher’s investment in digital puzzles – from its iconic Crossword to viral phenomenon Wordle – has evolved into a core business driver, which brought tens of millions of users to NYT.
“We’re driving new standalone subscriptions, but we’re also driving bundle subscriptions from games, as it’s become a powerful funnel.
“It’s the fastest-growing advertising revenue segment in the company, bringing in millions of new prospects into the portfolio,” he said.
The games division, said Knight, is now instrumental in acquiring and retaining subscribers, with data showing that users who engage with both news content and games during the same week demonstrate the strongest long-term retention profile of any NYT subscriber group.
“It’s because games are really creating that daily habit. The games are thoughtful, human-made, crafted, edited puzzles,” Knight said.
He said Wordle has created a shared daily experience by encouraging users to return regularly and to share their results.
“Bill Gates, the billionaire founder of Microsoft, plays Wordle every single day.
“If I start Wordle today, while someone else has been playing for three years, we’re still having the same moment.
“It’s a great way to stay connected with people,” he said.
Singapore Mediacorp’s Lead of Digital Commercial Strategy and Solutions, Lacey Ewin, said podcast listeners are highly engaged with the content, adding that no other medium compares to the level of engagement it drives.
Podcasts, she said, are regarded as one of the mediums that have played a significant role in swaying undecided political supporters in the United States during the recent presidential elections.
“Podcast attention allows you to have the attention of your audiences and helps you convert products for your advertisers,” she said in a session on “Fresh Ideas for Revenue Diversification” during the World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) Digital Media Asia 2025 yesterday.
She said podcast consumption in Asia is growing, with over 57% of people in Indonesia consuming over one hour of podcasts a week, 36% in Malaysia and 31% in Singapore.
“You actively choose to put your AirPods in your ear, be with a host for 40 minutes to 60 minutes to learn and educate,” she said.
Podcasts, said Ewin, also provide a deep dive into conversations about various topics while providing an opportunity for monetisation for publishers, as there is trust and affinity with niche audiences.
“The reality is that a one-minute TikTok video cannot do all the things that podcasts can do.”
Chief commercial officer at Schibsted Marketing Services Christian Haneborg shared how Verdens Gang (VG), which was once heavily reliant on print, has transformed itself into a digital powerhouse by introducing affiliate marketing as a third revenue pillar, alongside advertising and subscriptions.
“Advertisements and user subscriptions will continue to be essential, but we need to explore new revenue sources.
“The affiliate division has emerged as one of VG’s fastest-growing revenue streams, surpassing US$10mil (around RM43.83mil) in 2024 alone,” he said.
Haneborg added that many see affiliates as a risk to existing revenue, but the company sees them as a complementary force.
“The affiliate strategy has allowed VG to be flexible and leverage its existing traffic to generate an additional revenue stream while simultaneously demonstrating returns on investment to clients,” he said.
