The New York Times vs The Washington Post:Which is more popular by branded search?
In August 2026, The New York Times had more branded searches than The Washington Post among newspapers worldwide. The New York Times was estimated to have 2.7M branded searches compared to The Washington Post’s 1.2M, and held a 30.4% Share of Search versus The Washington Post’s 13.6%. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.
Follow The New York Times vs The Washington Post and get free monthly updates on what changed
By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy
Which is more popular in search, The New York Times or The Washington Post?
Compare the newspapers content teams choose between. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.
Share of Search by month for The New York Times, The Washington Post. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of search table
| Month | The Guardian | The New York Times | The Washington Post | Financial Times | The Telegraph | The Times |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 39.2% | 32.1% | 17.6% | 6.5% | 3.5% | 1.1% |
| Nov 2025 | 40.7% | 33.3% | 14.9% | 5.5% | 4.5% | 1.1% |
| Dec 2025 | 41.4% | 33.9% | 15.2% | 4.6% | 3.7% | 1.1% |
| Jan 2026 | 37.3% | 37.3% | 16.7% | 5% | 2.7% | 1% |
| Feb 2026 | 41.8% | 34.2% | 15.3% | 4.6% | 3.1% | 1.1% |
| Mar 2026 | 41.4% | 33.8% | 15.1% | 5.6% | 3% | 1.1% |
| Apr 2026 | 41.3% | 33.8% | 15.1% | 5.6% | 3% | 1.1% |
| May 2026 | 42.1% | 34.5% | 12.6% | 5.7% | 3.8% | 1.4% |
| Jun 2026 | 44.9% | 30.1% | 13.4% | 6% | 4% | 1.5% |
| Jul 2026 | 45% | 30.2% | 13.4% | 5% | 5% | 1.5% |
| Aug 2026 | 45.4% | 30.4% | 13.6% | 5% | 4.1% | 1.5% |
| Sep 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
How has the The New York Times and The Washington Post comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The New York Times was ahead of The Washington Post in every measured month of the 11 months ending August 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, The New York Times’ estimated Share of Search among newspapers worldwide moved from 32.1% to 30.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 3.4M to 2.7M.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, The Washington Post’s estimated Share of Search among newspapers worldwide moved from 17.6% to 13.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1.8M to 1.2M.
How did search popularity change for newspapers worldwide in August 2026?
2 changes
The Washington Post’s estimated Share of Search among newspapers worldwide has gained ground for 3 months in a row, from 12.6% to 13.6% in August 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for The New York Times worldwide fell 18.2% over 11 measured months, from 3.4M to 2.7M in August 2026.
How each brand is measured
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using The New York Times’ and The Washington Post’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
The New York Times
1 branded search term
- new york times
The Washington Post
1 branded search term
- washington post
Put your own brand in this comparison
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.