…, and with a total paid circulation of 245,824 from September 2015 to August 2016,[3] it is the 25th most read newspaper in the United States. The Boston Globe is the oldest and largest daily newspaper in Boston.[4]

Founded in the late 19th century, the paper was mainly controlled by Irish Catholic interests before being sold to Charles H. Taylor and his family. After being privately held until 1973, it was sold to The New York Times in 1993 for $1.1 billion, making it one of the most expensive print purchases in U.S. history.[5] The newspaper was purchased in 2013 by Boston Red Sox and Liverpool F.C. owner John W. Henry for $70 million from The New York Times Company, having lost 93.64% of its value in twenty years.

Historically, the newspaper has been noted as "one of the nation's most prestigious papers."[5] The paper's coverage of the 2001–2003 Roman Catholic Church sex abuse scandal received international media attention and served as the basis of the 2015 American drama, Spotlight.[4] In 1967, The Globe became the first major paper in the United States to come out against the Vietnam War.[6]

The chief print rival of The Boston Globe is the Boston Herald; however, The Globe is more than twice the size of the Boston Herald.[7] As of 2013, The Globe prints and circulates the entire press run of its rival.[4] The editor-in-chief, otherwise known as the editor, of the paper is Brian McGrory who took the helm in December 2012.