A Rare Glimpse at AI’s Appetite for Quality Journalism
Amazon has made waves in the media and tech industry by securing an exclusive licensing agreement with The New York Times, worth between $20 million and $25 million every year through a multiyear arrangement. This deal gives Amazon the right to tap into the Times’ vast library, including verticals like The Athletic and NYT Cooking, for the benefit of training its AI models and offering richer informational features through Alexa.
For an industry where publishers often worry about artificial intelligence (AI) siphoning off value without compensation, this is a concrete sign that major journalism is no longer taken for granted in the AI arms race. Amazon’s payout is far from insignificant—it adds up to about one percent of The Times’ estimated 2024 revenue. Yet, by the standards of recent deals between tech and media, some observers suggest it could be comparatively modest.
An Industry Benchmark Amid a Fierce New Marketplace
The details of Amazon’s deal, revealed by The Wall Street Journal, offer a rare inside look at what major platforms are paying to access premium, trusted news content for machine learning and AI-powered features. For example, a much-publicized deal between OpenAI and News Corp. was valued at $250 million over five years, setting the bar for “must-have” content in this new marketplace.
What does Amazon get out of it? Access to The Times’ proprietary reporting and multimedia, which can power smarter, more context-rich answers through Alexa and enhance the company’s own generative AI models.
New Revenue Streams—and New Legal Fronts
While the agreement provides valuable revenue and exposure, concerns remain about the broader implications for newsrooms. Offers like this one set important precedents, but some argue they’re still a fraction of what journalism contributes to society—and what AI gains in return.
This context is especially pointed given that The Times is also actively suing OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement. That landmark lawsuit claims AI companies have profited from Times journalism without consent—underscoring both the opportunities and the risks that newsrooms face as technology evolves.
For the Times, this deal is a shot of revenue and a foothold in the ongoing conversation about fair compensation for quality information. For Amazon, it’s the chance to refine its AI with genuine, trusted reporting—setting the stage for the next chapter in how humans and machines source their news.
