• by Erik Sass , October 15, 2013

The International Herald Tribune, long a favorite of business travelers, tourists, and expatriates in non-English-speaking countries, is no more -- or rather, the name is no more. The New York Times Co. has rebranded the 126-year-old newspaper as the International New York Times, in a move intended to raise awareness of its connection to the U.S. flagship and (hopefully) boost readership.

The move has been a while in coming. NYTCO took full control of IHT after buying out its co-owner, The Washington Post, in 2003, and subsequently phased out most of the IHT’s independent editorial operations, which were folded into the NYT’s. For the most part the changes are hardly dramatic: aside from the new masthead and a revamped Page 2, most of the newspaper looks much the same, at least for the time being.

In the end, the print edition, with its circulation of around 224,000, may be a secondary consideration, as NYTCO remains focused on building up its digital subscription base. Execs hope the rebranding will help drive more visitors to the INYT’s Web site, which will employ a metered access model similar to the NYT Web site (following a week of free access to attract visitors and stimulate interest).

The rebranding of the IHT is just the latest in a series of strategic moves by NYTCO, which has slimmed down with asset sales in order to focus on its core business around the flagship NYT.

In August, NYTCO announced that it was selling The Boston Globe and other properties in its New England Media Group, including the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, to Boston Red Sox owner John W. Henry for a total $70 million. That price represents a 93.6% discount over the $1.1 billion paid for the newspaper in 1993. NYTCO also sold its stake in Henry’s New England Sports Ventures, which owns the Boston Red Sox and associated cable TV properties.

In 2011 NYTCO sold its regional media group, consisting of 16 local newspapers in Southern states and California, to Halifax Media Holdings .