Brandtree

Who owns CNET?

CNET is owned by Ziff Davis (the United States, NASDAQ: ZD), which acquired the brand on 1 October 2024.[1][2] CNET was founded in 1994 in the United States and was independent until 2024.

Key facts

Current owner
Ziff Davis, Inc. verified
Owned since
· deal details
Previous owner
Independent (1994–2024)
Owner HQ
🇺🇸 United States, New York, New York
Origin
🇺🇸 United States
Founded
1994
Category
Media & entertainmentPublishingNewspapers & magazines
Parent ticker
NASDAQ: ZD
Last verified
· 2 sources

About CNET

CNET was among the first technology news sites and was owned by CBS for over a decade. Ziff Davis acquired it in 2024, and it had earlier drawn criticism for publishing articles generated by artificial intelligence without clearly labelling them.

Ownership timeline of CNET

Owners of CNET from 2024 to 2026 Ziff Davis 2024–present Ziff Davis 2024202520262027
  1. 2024 – present Ziff Davis acquired 1 October 2024 [1][2] verified

Where CNET sits in Ziff Davis

Controlling ownership as of . Brands grouped under the entity that owns them; large groups are collapsed.

Where CNET sits in Ziff Davis Tree of 5 brands under Ziff Davis. Ziff Davis CNET Humble Bundle IGN Mashable PCMag

Open the full Ziff Davis ownership tree →

Other brands owned by Ziff Davis in media & entertainment

See the full Ziff Davis brand portfolio (5) →

Deals involving CNET

Acquisition closed

Ziff Davis acquires CNET

Ziff Davis acquired CNET from Red Ventures. CNET was among the first technology news sites, was owned by CBS for over a decade, and had drawn criticism shortly before the sale for publishing articles generated by artificial intelligence without labelling them clearly. Press reports put the price near $100 million; neither party disclosed a figure.

Value
Undisclosed
Seller
Regulatory
None recorded

Latest news about CNET

No tagged news items yet. Headlines are added nightly from public feeds; only titles and links are stored.

Headlines link to the original publisher. Brandtree does not reproduce article text.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the parent company of CNET?

The parent company of CNET is Ziff Davis, a publicly listed company headquartered in the United States.

Is CNET American?

Yes. CNET originated in the United States in 1994 and its owner, Ziff Davis, is also headquartered in the United States.

When did Ziff Davis buy CNET?

Ziff Davis completed its acquisition of CNET on 1 October 2024, after announcing the deal on 4 September 2024.

Who owned CNET before Ziff Davis?

CNET was an independent company from its founding in 1994 until Ziff Davis acquired it in 2024.

Is CNET still owned by Ziff Davis?

Yes. As of 8 September 2026, CNET is still owned by Ziff Davis. The ownership record was last checked against primary sources on that date.

Sources (2) & corrections

Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.

  1. [1] Ziff Davis, Inc. Annual Report on Form 10-K filed 2026-02-24 — SEC EDGAR, SEC Form 10-K, published 24 February 2026; retrieved 8 September 2026.
  2. [2] Ziff Davis acquires CNET — Ziff Davis, Inc., Official press release, published 1 October 2024; retrieved 8 September 2026.

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