The next time you test your internet speed or check if a service is offline, your data will likely be feeding into a new corporate ecosystem. On Tuesday, media giant Ziff Davis announced the sale of its Connectivity division, which includes the industry-standard Ookla Speedtest and Downdetector platforms, to Accenture for $1.2 billion in cash.
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According to Reuters, the sale allows Ziff Davis to pivot its resources toward its core editorial brands, such as IGN, Mashable, and Everyday Health. This move follows a period of aggressive brand consolidation and restructuring within the company’s gaming portfolio. Recently, Ziff Davis made headlines for significant layoffs at Eurogamer, including the departure of veteran editors and its entire video team. This follows similar shifts at VG247, which was recently scaled back to a specialized two-person guides site.
The sale marks an incredible return on investment for Ziff Davis, which originally purchased Ookla for just $15 million in 2014. The Connectivity division capitalized on the global 5G rollout and the massive surge in bandwidth demand during the pandemic, ultimately generating a staggering $231 million in revenue in 2025 alone.
Accenture, the Dublin-based global consulting powerhouse, sees this acquisition as a foundational pillar for its future. In a statement that leans heavily on industry jargon, the company described the move as essential for building “end-to-end network intelligence services essential for AI-based transformation.”
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Translating that from “corporate-speak” to plain English: Accenture wants the massive troves of real-world network data that Ookla and Downdetector provide. By owning the tools that monitor global internet health, Accenture can offer its corporate clients better insights into how to build and optimize AI systems that rely on fast, stable connections.
The deal is expected to take several months to finalize. In the interim, Ziff Davis will continue to operate Speedtest and Downdetector as usual.
