The creator didn't want to monetise it themselves, and wasn't really intended as a global phenomenon so this seems like a great option for them. Also I wouldn'

The creator didn't want to monetise it themselves, and wasn't really intended as a global phenomenon so this seems like a great option for them. Also I wouldn't be shocked if NYT keep it free. They have some free word games, and encourage you to sign up for the rest of them - having a huge audience that come and play word games every single day seems like a great opportunity for upselling. edit - a quick search suggests it's millions of people per day. At £25/year for a subscription, you'd probably not need a huge conversion rate for it to pay off quickly.