Company Description
Ziff Davis, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZD) is a vertically focused digital media and internet company. According to its public disclosures and subsidiary announcements, the company’s portfolio includes brands across technology, shopping, gaming and entertainment, health and wellness, connectivity, cybersecurity, and martech. Ziff Davis is listed on NASDAQ under the ticker ZD and reports results as a multi-segment digital business.
In its financial reporting, Ziff Davis presents revenues across several operating areas: Technology & Shopping, Gaming & Entertainment, Health & Wellness, Connectivity, and Cybersecurity & Martech. These categories reflect the breadth of its digital media and internet activities, from consumer-facing content and shopping experiences to B2B-oriented connectivity, cybersecurity, and marketing technology offerings.
Business model and portfolio focus
Based on company descriptions appearing in earnings releases and brand-level press announcements, Ziff Davis builds and operates digital brands that serve distinct interest and industry verticals. Within technology and shopping, its portfolio includes brands such as RetailMeNot, which positions itself as a savings destination offering online and in-store coupon codes, cash back offers, and a mobile app and browser extension. Events like National Cash Back Day illustrate how this segment connects retailers, brands, and consumers through promotional and cash back programs.
Within technology media, Ziff Davis owns the CNET Group, described as a collective of premium technology publishers including CNET, PCMag, Mashable, ZDNET, ExtremeTech, Spiceworks, and Lifehacker. These brands focus on tech storytelling, product testing, reviews, and analysis. CNET Group’s role as the official partner for the Consumer Technology Association’s “Best of CES” awards highlights Ziff Davis’s presence in consumer technology coverage and event-based editorial programming.
In connectivity, Ziff Davis operates Ookla, which is characterized as a global leader in connectivity intelligence. Ookla brings together Speedtest, Downdetector, Ekahau, and RootMetrics to provide network and connectivity insights to service providers, enterprises, and governments. Product announcements such as Speedtest Pulse, a network diagnostic device, and partnerships involving Downdetector demonstrate how this segment focuses on measuring, analyzing, and interpreting network performance and digital experiences.
The Cybersecurity & Martech segment is supported by acquisitions such as Semantic Labs, which the company identifies within this category. Ziff Davis has stated that acquisitions are used to grow its global customer base, provide access to new markets, and expand its product lineup. Connectivity-focused acquisitions, such as Etrality, are reported within the Connectivity segment and further extend the company’s reach in that area.
Segment structure and diversification
Ziff Davis’s segment disclosures in its quarterly financial results show how the business is diversified across multiple verticals. Technology & Shopping, Gaming & Entertainment, Health & Wellness, Connectivity, and Cybersecurity & Martech each contribute to total revenues. The company reports metrics such as revenues, income (loss) from operations, adjusted EBITDA, and adjusted net income by period, and it provides guidance ranges for full-year revenues, adjusted EBITDA, and adjusted diluted EPS.
Health & Wellness is identified as a distinct revenue segment, and the company’s general description notes that its portfolio includes brands in health and wellness. Connectivity is another separate segment, supported by Ookla’s connectivity intelligence products and services. Cybersecurity & Martech reflects the company’s activities in security and marketing technology, including the impact of acquisitions within that category. Technology & Shopping and Gaming & Entertainment encompass consumer-facing digital properties in technology media, shopping, and gaming-related content.
Capital markets presence and investor communications
Ziff Davis regularly communicates with the investment community through earnings releases, guidance updates, and participation in investor conferences. It has announced attendance at events such as the UBS Global Technology and AI Conference, the Barclays Global Technology Conference, and the RBC Capital Markets Global Technology, Internet, Media and Telecommunications Conference. These appearances are typically disclosed via Form 8-K filings under Regulation FD.
The company issues quarterly financial results, including unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations and cash flows, and discusses non-GAAP measures such as adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net income, and free cash flow. It also hosts earnings conference calls and audio webcasts, with presentation materials made available and furnished to the SEC as exhibits to Form 8-K.
Ziff Davis has also reported on capital allocation activities, including share repurchase programs and acquisitions. In its third quarter 2025 results, the company discussed revenue growth, goodwill impairment charges, net income (loss), adjusted metrics, cash flow from operations, and free cash flow. It also noted that it had engaged outside advisors to evaluate potential value-creating opportunities, including the possible sale of entire divisions, while emphasizing that no final decisions had been made and that there was no assurance any transactions would occur.
Examples of brands within the Ziff Davis portfolio
Public announcements from Ziff Davis subsidiaries provide specific examples of brands within the portfolio:
- CNET Group: CNET, PCMag, Mashable, ZDNET, ExtremeTech, Spiceworks, and Lifehacker, described collectively as technology publishers that treat tech as a core part of modern lifestyle and guide audiences toward products and services.
- Ookla: A division of Ziff Davis that combines Speedtest, Downdetector, Ekahau, and RootMetrics to deliver connectivity intelligence and network performance insights.
- RetailMeNot: A Ziff Davis company that focuses on savings, cash back, coupon codes, and promotional events such as National Cash Back Day, working with a broad range of retailers and brands.
These examples illustrate how Ziff Davis’s portfolio spans consumer technology media, connectivity measurement and diagnostics, and shopping and savings platforms, all under a digital media and internet umbrella.
Regulatory filings and reporting framework
As a NASDAQ-listed company, Ziff Davis files periodic and current reports with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Recent Form 8-K filings have covered participation in investor conferences, the release of quarterly financial results, and the furnishing of earnings press releases and investor presentations. The company’s risk factors and other disclosures are detailed in its Annual Report on Form 10-K and other filings referenced in its earnings releases.
In its communications, Ziff Davis uses forward-looking statements regarding expected financial performance and strategic initiatives, accompanied by cautionary language referencing risks such as advertising, licensing, and subscription revenue growth, acquisition integration, competitive dynamics, technological change, regulatory developments, and macroeconomic conditions. These disclosures provide context for how the company views its operations and financial outlook within the digital media and internet sector.
Position within the information sector
Within the broader information sector and the data processing, hosting, and related services industry classification, Ziff Davis’s activities center on owning and operating digital brands, delivering content and services across multiple verticals, and providing data and insights related to connectivity and digital experiences. The company’s segment structure, brand portfolio, and recurring presence in technology-focused investor conferences underscore its identity as a digital media and internet business with exposure to technology, shopping, gaming and entertainment, health and wellness, connectivity, cybersecurity, and martech.