Because the goal is sustainable subscription revenue. This feature is for subscribers to promote NYT content, typically among people you know and discuss the articles with, which is probably a great channel for them gaining new subscribers.
> Yes, sharing a gift article URL generated from a New York Times paid subscription on platforms like Reddit is generally against their terms of service. The New York Times allows subscribers to generate gift links for specific articles, which are intended for personal use, meaning they are supposed to be shared privately with individuals rather than publicly. Publicly posting these links can lead to unauthorized access beyond the intended use, which violates the terms outlined by the New York Times for using their subscription services. It's always good to check the specific terms and conditions directly on their website to understand the limitations and permissions regarding the sharing of content.