> do you have any source for your first statement that "It's absolutely working so well because they are NYT" other than your gut feeling?

It says so right in the part of the article that was quoted:

“The fact that we are no longer offering behavioral targeting options in Europe does not seem to be in the way of what advertisers want to do with us,” he said. “The desirability of a brand may be stronger than the targeting capabilities...

(the "he" is the NYT's SVP for global advertising)