Yahoo just sold Engadget, one of tech journalism's longest-running publications, to Static Media in a deal inked in early February that's set to close later this month. The terms weren't disclosed, but the sale marks another chapter in Engadget's ownership saga and signals Yahoo's continued retreat from its once-expansive media empire. Staff learned of the transition weeks ago and have already started working with their new owners, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Engadget, the gadget review and tech news site that's been covering consumer electronics since 2004, is changing hands again. Yahoo confirmed it's selling the publication to Static Media, a digital media company that's been quietly assembling a portfolio of heritage web properties. The deal was signed in early February and is on track to close by the end of March, though financial terms remain under wraps.
The transaction hasn't been formally announced yet, but internal wheels are already turning. According to sources who spoke to The Verge, Engadget's editorial staff learned about the sale several weeks ago and have already held initial meetings with their soon-to-be owners. The relatively smooth internal communication suggests this isn't the chaotic fire-sale scenario that's plagued other digital media transitions in recent years.
"This move reflects Yahoo's focus on our core brands, while aligning Engadget with an owner whose primary focus is operating and growing editorial media brands," Sona Iliffe-Moon, Yahoo's chief communications officer, told The Verge. It's classic corporate-speak, but the sentiment tracks with Yahoo's broader strategy. The company has been steadily divesting non-core assets as it tries to define what a modern Yahoo actually looks like in 2026.
For Engadget, this marks yet another ownership change in a history that reads like a who's-who of digital media consolidation. AOL acquired the site in 2005, then Verizon scooped up AOL in 2015 as part of its ill-fated media ambitions. When Verizon sold off its media properties to private equity firm Apollo Global Management in 2021, Engadget became part of the newly reconstituted Yahoo. Now it's heading to Static Media, a company that specializes in acquiring and operating established editorial brands.
