The New York Times Company has announced that it will purchase Internet giant About.com from Primedia Incorporated. The total price is $410 million and the deal is expected to close in early April. The purchase is being made in cash.

According to the New York Times, About.com is a highly profitable website but it seeks to make some improvements. The About.com name will remain and it will operate independently of the New York Times website.

When the deal closes, the New York Times will become the 12th largest entity on the Internet if it adds About.com's 22 million users to its own total of 13 million. The times estimated that 85 percent of About.com's users do not presently use the New York Times website.

'This is a profitable business that's growing very nicely,' said Janet Robinson, the Times Company president and chief executive. 'It was something that we found to be very attractive for our portfolio.'

Primedia hoped that the sale would reduce its debt and strengthen its balance sheet.

About.com uses approximately 500 experts to write information about very specific topics. Cost-per-click advertising is the main source of income for About.com and the Times indicated it would attempt to expand About.com's advertising base.