Observed Signal · Mar 10, 2026 · Product Launch · Source: AdExchanger · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
NYT Enters In-Game Advertising with Crossplay Launch
The New York Times introduced Crossplay, its first two‑player game, and the company’s first instance of ads appearing inside the gameplay experience. Launched in January and housed in a separate Crossplay app linked from the NYT Games app, Crossplay shows video ads at the end of a player's turn that play for six seconds before a skip option appears. JPMorganChase sponsored the launch campaign and tailored creative for the game environment. Many NYT Games remain free for non‑subscribers and are ad‑supported; the publisher has also moved the Mini Crossword behind a paywall to drive subscriptions. NYT and its launch partner highlight the Games portfolio’s habitual, brand‑safe audience as a selling point for advertisers.
Publisher (NYT) expanding ad inventory into in‑game placements with a major brand sponsor highlights a growing, brand‑safe channel for advertisers but is not a platform-level industry shift.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- The New York Times launched Crossplay, a two‑player game, in January.
- Crossplay is the first NYT game to show ads within the gameplay experience (end of a turn).
- Ads in Crossplay play for six seconds before users can skip them.
- JPMorganChase (JPMC) was the launch partner and sponsored the Crossplay campaign.
- NYT has made several games free and ad‑supported for non‑subscribers and placed the Mini Crossword behind a paywall to drive subscriptions.
Connected Companies & Entities
2 Entities mappedOntology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Jonathan Knight Promoted to Chief Games Officer at NYT
Jonathan Knight has been promoted to the newly expanded role of chief games officer at The New York Times, where he will continue to lead the publication's games operation. Knight, who joined NYT in September 2020, has overseen the growth of its games portfolio, including the acquisition and integration of Wordle and the launch of Crossplay. His responsibilities include managing the P&L and publishing pipeline for popular games such as The New York Times Crossword, Spelling Bee, Connections, Strands, and Pips. Before joining NYT, Knight held senior positions at Warner Bros. Games, Zynga, and Electronic Arts, with a track record of leading major game franchises and large teams. The appointment reflects NYT's continued investment in games as a key engagement and subscription driver.
NYSE Parent ICE and OKX Plan 24/7 Tokenized Stock Trading
Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), operator of the New York Stock Exchange, and crypto exchange OKX have announced plans for their joint venture OKXICE to launch a trading venue for tokenized U.S. stocks, operating 24/7. The venue will offer about 60 tokenized stocks, including Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Tesla, JPMorgan Chase, Walmart, Coinbase, Robinhood, Circle, and SpaceX. Trading will occur on OKX's layer-2 network X Layer using Uniswap v4 permissioned liquidity pools, with settlement in stablecoins USDC, USDG, or USDT. Users will hold tokens in self-custody wallets, with underlying stocks held by tokenization providers. The move follows an SEC 'Innovation Exemption' allowing such venues to operate without registering as exchanges, subject to strict limits on volume and stock selection. ICE took a minority stake in OKX in March at a $25 billion valuation. Critics, including SIFMA and Better Markets, warn of market fragmentation and regulatory arbitrage.
Trump Unveils Super Intelligence Force Led by Clayton
President Trump has created a 'Super Intelligence Force' (SIF) to coordinate federal AI efforts and ensure U.S. dominance, following an executive order rebranding AI as 'super intelligence' (SI). Chaired by DNI Jay Clayton, who also serves as AI czar, the SIF includes FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson, Pentagon CTO Emil Michael, and OPM Director Scott Kupor as vice chairs. Reporting directly to Trump and Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, the force has 120 days to produce a report on AI risks and opportunities. Trump described SI as 'bigger than the Industrial Revolution'. The administration opposes AI slowdowns, and a voluntary 'Accord on Super Intelligence' has been signed, outlining safety measures, though critics question enforceability. Privacy advocates worry about the intelligence community's $80 billion budget. Meanwhile, companies like OpenAI and Google have postponed releases due to safety concerns.
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