March 4, 2026 Ziff Davis has agreed to sell its Connectivity division, including Ookla’s Speedtest and Downdetector, to Accenture for US$1.2 billion in cash. The move shifts control of widely used network performance and outage-tracking tools to a global consulting firm, while allowing Ziff Davis to refocus on its core digital media brands.
The definitive agreement covers Ookla, Downdetector, Ekahau, RootMetrics and related assets. The Connectivity segment generated US$231 million in revenue in 2025, representing 16 per cent of Ziff Davis’s total revenue, according to the company. Ziff Davis acquired Ookla in 2014 for US$15 million and subsequently expanded the division through additional acquisitions.
The transaction is expected to take several months to close. Until then, Ziff Davis will continue operating the Connectivity businesses. Proceeds from the sale will be used for “general corporate purposes” and to “fund robust capital allocation activities” in line with outstanding debt obligations, the company said.
During an earnings call, CEO Vivek Shah noted that asset sales have not historically been common for Ziff Davis but described the Connectivity division as a strong return on investment. He also signalled a renewed focus on digital media. “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,” Shah said.
For Accenture, the acquisition strengthens its network analytics and performance measurement capabilities. The company described the deal as a step toward building “end-to-end network intelligence services essential for AI-based transformation.”
The divestiture comes amid broader restructuring within Ziff Davis’s media portfolio, including editorial staff reductions and consolidation across gaming properties such as Eurogamer and VG247. Reuters reported that the Connectivity unit had benefited from 5G rollouts and pandemic-driven increases in bandwidth demand, contributing to its revenue growth.
