New York Times in talks to acquire Letterboxd
The US media group could pay around 330 million dollars for the film platform.
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The New York Times Company is holding exclusive talks to acquire Letterboxd, the social platform for film enthusiasts. According to Reuters, the potential deal is worth around 330 million dollars; no final agreement has yet been reached.
Letterboxd was founded in 2011 by Matthew Buchanan and Karl von Randow. Users can rate films, create lists, write reviews and follow one another. According to Reuters, the platform has grown to around 30 million users and mainly targets a young audience that discovers films through social recommendations.
The potential acquisition fits The New York Times Company’s broader strategy of building new digital audience products alongside news. The media group already owns, among other things, the news organisation The New York Times, puzzle products and its cooking service. Letterboxd would add a specialised film and community service to that portfolio.
The talks are not the same as a completed transaction. Reuters based its report on two people familiar with the negotiations. According to reports, The New York Times Company did not provide a substantive response. The report about Letterboxd concerns talks over a potential sale.
According to reports, the quoted price is more than twenty times the expected earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation of around 15 million dollars in 2026. This indicates what the buyer might be willing to pay for growth, brand value and user data, not a guaranteed future return.
For users, the future direction is the main concern. A new owner could invest in features, film data and commercial partnerships, but could also introduce more advertising, subscriptions or links with other products. The report about the negotiations does not yet show what an acquisition would mean for the app, the name or the terms for users.
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Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The acquisition talks, the quoted price and the basic information about Letterboxd have been reported by multiple public sources. The potential consequences for users are described as scenarios, not facts.
- confirmed The New York Times Company is holding exclusive talks about Letterboxd. — Reuters reported this on 5 November, citing two sources. source
- confirmed The potential price is around 330 million dollars. — Reuters, TheWrap and The Verge cite this figure. source
- confirmed Letterboxd has around 30 million users. — Reuters cites this figure. source
Editor's note
These are exclusive negotiations, not a completed acquisition. The price and user figures are reported figures and may change if the deal does not go ahead.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- NOS — „letterboxd new york times”
- Het Parool — „letterboxd new york times”
- Trouw — „letterboxd new york times”