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.
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.
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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.
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The parent company of CNET is Ziff Davis, a publicly listed company headquartered in the United States.
Yes. CNET originated in the United States in 1994 and its owner, Ziff Davis, is also headquartered in the United States.
Ziff Davis completed its acquisition of CNET on 1 October 2024, after announcing the deal on 4 September 2024. The price was not disclosed.
CNET was an independent company from its founding in 1994 until Ziff Davis acquired it in 2024.
Yes. As of 16 September 2026, CNET is still owned by Ziff Davis. The ownership record was last checked against primary sources on that date.
Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.
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