CNET Cars
CNET Cars (CNET Roadshow) is the automotive editorial section of CNET, providing car reviews, EV coverage, and buying guides to consumers through a digital media platform owned by Ziff Davis.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What CNET Cars does
CNET Cars, also known as CNET Roadshow, is the automotive editorial section of CNET, a long-standing digital technology media property. It publishes car reviews, automotive industry news, electric-vehicle coverage, autonomous-driving reporting, and car-buying guidance for general consumer readers. The product is a content/news publication rather than a technology platform, built on a digital media publishing stack with content management, editorial workflows, and affiliate-link tracking infrastructure that is shared with the parent CNET property. Underlying technology includes access to CNET Labs' 15,000+ square feet of dedicated product-testing facilities used across multiple editorial categories.
CNET Cars operates as a wholly-owned sub-brand of CNET, which is itself a subsidiary of Ziff Davis Inc. (NASDAQ: ZD), acquired from CBS Interactive in 2015. The business model is direct-to-consumer digital media: content is free to readers, and revenue is generated through three streams — affiliate commerce commissions on purchases routed through tracked links in reviews and deal content, display and sponsored-content advertising, and newsletter subscriptions. The go-to-market motion relies on organic search traffic, social media distribution, newsletter engagement, and event-driven coverage (CES, Apple WWDC) to drive audience reach, which in turn monetizes through commerce referrals and ad impressions. The Cars vertical has approximately 18 employees and serves primarily US-based consumers, though it benefits from CNET's broader international edition footprint (France, Germany, Japan, Korea).
The strategic positioning of CNET Cars within the Ziff Davis portfolio is as a category-vertical extension of the flagship CNET tech-review brand. Its competitive advantage rests on the established CNET brand reputation (25+ years of editorial credibility), shared testing infrastructure, and cross-category audience data that a standalone automotive publication would lack. However, the vertical faces structural industry challenges including declining display advertising economics, search-engine algorithm risk, and competitive pressure from both traditional automotive media and AI-native content generation.
CNET Cars firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CNET Cars
- Legal name
- CNET
- Website
- https://theroadshow.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- CNET Cars (CNET Roadshow) is the automotive editorial section of CNET, providing car reviews, EV coverage, and buying guides to consumers through a digital media platform owned by Ziff Davis.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CNET Cars industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Automotive Digital Media
- akta.pro primary industry
- Automotive & Transportation Magazines (MPAJAEAI)
Keywords
Where CNET Cars is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
CNET Cars business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Affiliate Commerce Revenue: CNET generates revenue through affiliate links embedded in product reviews and buying guides, earning commissions when readers purchase products through those links. This is explicitly disclosed on review pages.
- Display Advertising: The site generates advertising revenue through display ads, sponsored content placements, and branded sections. The site structure includes ad placements throughout content pages.
- Subscription/Newsletters: CNET offers newsletter subscriptions and has premium content offerings. The site features subscription options and gated content access.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free content access with affiliate-supported commerce |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
CNET Cars product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CNET Cars is the automotive editorial vertical of CNET, publishing car reviews, automotive news, electric vehicle coverage, autonomous driving technology updates, car recall reporting, and car buying guides. It is a content publication that monetizes consumer readership through embedded affiliate links to retailers, display advertising on its pages, and newsletter subscriptions.
Product overview
CNET Cars (also known as Roadshow) is a single unified content platform that is part of the broader CNET media network. It focuses exclusively on automotive content including car reviews, industry news, electric vehicle coverage, and car buying guides. The platform features latest stories on topics such as Tesla recalls, Waymo's driverless car expansion, Rivian lawsuits, electric scooter deals, and automotive technology developments. The offering is a content/news publication rather than a product or technology platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- CNET Cars (Roadshow) CNET's automotive editorial section providing car reviews, automotive news, electric vehicle coverage, autonomous driving technology updates, car recall reporting, and car buying guides for general consumers researching vehicle purchases and following the auto industry.
Quantifiable outcome
- 25+ years editorial experience and 15,000+ sq ft of dedicated testing lab space
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use CNET Cars
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
CNET Cars technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
CNET Cars partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
CNET Cars competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Drive: Digital automotive media brand focused on car news, reviews, and enthusiast culture. Competes for the same review-intent audience and similar ad/affiliate revenue mix as CNET Cars.
- Carscoops: Automotive news and reviews site with global editorial coverage and a strong focus on spy shots, EV coverage, and industry news. Directly comparable editorial and audience overlap with CNET Cars/Roadshow.
- Kelley Blue Book: Authoritative automotive valuation, reviews, and car-shopping platform owned by Cox Automotive. Directly comparable to CNET Cars in serving the car-buying journey with reviews, pricing, and affiliate/dealer monetization.
- TopSpeed: Digital automotive publication with reviews, news, and buying content across mainstream and enthusiast segments. Competes directly with CNET Cars for organic search traffic and advertiser/affiliate revenue.
- MotorTrend: Long-established automotive media brand publishing car reviews, news, buying guides, and multimedia content. Directly comparable to CNET Cars in audience (auto-intent consumers), content format (reviews, comparisons, news), and revenue model (ads, affiliate, OEM partnerships).
- Car and Driver: Heritage automotive magazine and digital publication covering reviews, EV news, and buying advice. Competes head-to-head with CNET Cars/Roadshow for the same high-intent car-shopping reader and the same OEM and affiliate marketing dollars.
- Autoblog: Digital automotive publication covering news, reviews, and buying guides. Operates in the same content-and-commerce niche as CNET Cars with overlapping advertiser and affiliate relationships.
- Edmunds: Automotive research and reviews platform with deep new- and used-car pricing data, expert reviews, and dealer listings. Highly comparable to CNET Cars in targeting purchase-ready automotive consumers and monetizing through advertising and dealer partnerships.
Broad incumbents
- PCMag: Sibling Ziff Davis property and one of the most established consumer technology review sites. Comparable to CNET Cars in audience overlap (tech-buying consumers), affiliate/display revenue mix, and lab-based testing methodology, though its scope is broader than automotive.
- J.D. Power: Established automotive data, analytics, and consumer insight firm that publishes reviews, ratings, and research for car shoppers. Adjacent incumbent that overlaps with CNET Cars on review content and purchase-intent audience, though it monetizes differently (B2B data and OEM services).
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
CNET Cars social profiles
Digital presenceCNET Cars financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CNET Cars leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
CNET Cars funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CNET Cars M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CNET Cars
What does CNET Cars do?
CNET Cars is the automotive editorial vertical of CNET, publishing car reviews, automotive news, electric vehicle coverage, autonomous driving technology updates, car recall reporting, and car buying guides. It is a content publication that monetizes consumer readership through embedded affiliate links to retailers, display advertising on its pages, and newsletter subscriptions.
Is CNET Cars a public or private company?
CNET Cars is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was CNET Cars founded?
CNET Cars was founded in 1994. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is CNET Cars based?
CNET Cars is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does CNET Cars make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Affiliate Commerce Revenue is the primary driver. The others are display Advertising and subscription/Newsletters.
Who are CNET Cars's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Drive, Carscoops, Kelley Blue Book, TopSpeed, MotorTrend, Car and Driver, Autoblog and Edmunds. Broad incumbents are PCMag and J.D. Power.
Does CNET Cars have an API?
No public API is recorded for CNET Cars.
What industry is CNET Cars in?
CNET Cars's product category is Automotive Digital Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAEAI, Automotive & Transportation Magazines.