Ziff Davis has agreed to sell its connectivity division, including Ookla's Speedtest and Downdetector, to Accenture for $1.2 billion in cash. The deal encompasses brands like RootMetrics and Ekahau, which generated $231 million in revenue in 2025. Accenture plans to integrate these tools to enhance network optimization for AI and other applications.
Ziff Davis, a communications company and parent of CNET, announced on Tuesday that it has entered a definitive agreement to sell its entire connectivity division to Accenture. The portfolio includes Ookla, which owns Speedtest and Downdetector, as well as Ekahau and RootMetrics. These brands focus on fixed broadband, mobile, Wi-Fi network monitoring, and incident detection.
The connectivity division has been part of Ziff Davis since its acquisition of Ookla in 2014 for $15 million. Other brands like Downdetector, Ekahau, and RootMetrics were added over the years. In 2025, the division reported $231 million in revenue, representing 16% of Ziff Davis's total cash intake. Ookla alone conducted 250 million consumer-initiated tests per month and employed about 430 people, with a net income of $76.1 million that year.
Ziff Davis CEO Vivek Shah noted during an earnings call that while asset sales are not common for the company, the connectivity unit has been a success. He highlighted opportunities in digital media amid the shift to AI, stating, "We believe that the fear in digital media markets presents us with a number of opportunities. Just as we were the company that successfully navigated the shift from analog to digital, we believe we have the people, platforms and experience to navigate the AI shift."
Accenture, a global IT consulting firm headquartered in Dublin, aims to use the acquired data products to help clients optimize Wi-Fi and 5G networks. Applications include ensuring AI infrastructure resilience, fraud prevention in banks, smart home analytics, and retail traffic optimization. Accenture's chief strategy and services officer Manish Sharma said, "Speedtest and RootMetrics define the experience; Downdetector identifies incidents faster; and Ekahau drives digital workplace transformation through superior Wi-Fi. In an era of omni-channel and agentic access, low-latency, zero-friction connectivity is a competitive necessity."
Accenture CEO Julie Sweet added, "By acquiring Ookla, we will help our clients across business and government scale AI safely and build the trusted data foundations they need to deliver the reliable, seamless connectivity that creates value."
The transaction, expected to close in the coming months, will allow Ziff Davis to focus on core digital media brands like IGN, Mashable, and Everyday Health. Proceeds will fund general corporate purposes and capital allocation to address debts. In the interim, Ziff Davis will operate the businesses as usual. Accenture has stated it plans to continue running Ookla as it does today, though users may face changes to privacy policies post-closure.
The brands serve both consumers and businesses, with B2B clients including telecom operators, banks, streaming services, and government entities. Downdetector is frequently cited in media for outage reports, while Speedtest aggregates data on network performance for various connected experiences.