Brandtree

Who owns Wordle?

Wordle is owned by The New York Times (the United States, NYSE: NYT), which acquired the brand on 31 January 2022.[1][2][3] Wordle was founded in 2021 in the United Kingdom and was independent until 2022.

Key facts

Current owner
The New York Times Company verified
Owned since
· deal details
Previous owner
Independent (2021–2022)
Owner HQ
🇺🇸 United States, New York, New York
Origin
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Founded
2021
Category
Internet & digital › Platforms & devices › Games & gaming platforms
Parent ticker
NYSE: NYT
Last verified
· 3 sources

About Wordle

Wordle was written by a Welsh software engineer for his partner and released free with no advertising in 2021. The New York Times bought it in 2022 for a price in the low seven figures, and it now anchors a games subscription.

Ownership timeline of Wordle

Owners of Wordle over 2021 to 2026 The New York Times 2022–present The New York Times 2021202220232024202520262027
  1. 2022 – present The New York Times — acquired 31 January 2022 [1][2][3] verified

Where Wordle sits in The New York Times

Controlling ownership as of . Brands grouped under the entity that owns them; large groups are collapsed.

Where Wordle sits in The New York Times Tree of 4 brands under The New York Times. The New York Times Wordle The Athletic The New York Times Wirecutter

Open the full The New York Times ownership tree →

Other brands owned by The New York Times

See the full The New York Times brand portfolio (4) →

Deals involving Wordle

Acquisition closed

The New York Times acquires Wordle

The New York Times Company bought Wordle from its creator Josh Wardle, months after the daily word game had become a global habit shared through grids of coloured squares. The Times has never disclosed the price. The game joined the Games portfolio alongside the Crossword and Spelling Bee, and the company keeps it free, treating it as a way to build an audience it can convert to subscriptions later.

Value
Undisclosed
Seller
—
Regulatory
None recorded

Latest news about Wordle

No tagged news items yet. Deals, regulatory actions and recalls are added from SEC filings, regulators and trade press; only titles and links are stored.

Headlines link to the original publisher. Brandtree does not reproduce article text.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the parent company of Wordle?

The parent company of Wordle is The New York Times, a publicly listed company headquartered in the United States.

Is Wordle British or American?

Wordle originated in the United Kingdom in 2021, but it is owned today by The New York Times, which is headquartered in the United States. So Wordle is a British-origin brand under American ownership.

When did The New York Times buy Wordle?

The New York Times completed its acquisition of Wordle on 31 January 2022. The price was not disclosed.

Who owned Wordle before The New York Times?

Wordle was an independent company from its founding in 2021 until The New York Times acquired it in 2022.

Is Wordle still owned by The New York Times?

Yes. As of 16 September 2026, Wordle is still owned by The New York Times. The ownership record was last checked against primary sources on that date.

Sources (3) & corrections

Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.

  1. [1] The New York Times Company Annual Report on Form 10-K filed 2026-02-27 — SEC EDGAR, SEC Form 10-K, published 27 February 2026; retrieved 16 September 2026.
  2. [2] The New York Times Company Form 10-K for 2021 - products — SEC EDGAR, SEC Form 10-K, published 23 February 2022; retrieved 16 September 2026.
  3. [3] The New York Times Company Form 10-K for 2022 - The Athletic acquisition — SEC EDGAR, SEC Form 10-K, published 28 February 2023; retrieved 16 September 2026.

Report a correction Opens a pre-filled GitHub issue. See our corrections policy.

Related

More British brands

More games & gaming platforms brands

Explainers