Getty Images

What Getty Images does

Getty Images Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: GETY), founded in 1995 and headquartered in Seattle, is a publicly traded visual content company that licenses rights-cleared photography, video and music to enterprise customers, media organizations, brands, creative professionals and — increasingly — artificial intelligence platforms. Its core technology is a digital licensing platform built around a library of over 477 million assets contributed by more than 600,000 creators, with authentication and rights-clearance workflows that distinguish it from commodity stock libraries. The product portfolio spans the flagship Getty Images platform, the iStock subscription sub-brand, the Motorsport Images archive acquired in April 2024, custom-content services, and editorial photography covering premier events such as the Met Gala, Tribeca Festival, FIFA World Cup 2026 and U.S. Soccer matches.

The business generates revenue through a mix of subscription-based licensing on Getty Images and iStock, transaction-based stock licensing, multi-year enterprise licensing agreements with AI and social-media platforms, custom content services and event-driven editorial licensing. Reported FY2025 revenue was $981.3 million (a record), with Q4 2025 up 14.1% year-over-year driven by two large multi-year enterprise deals, while Q1 2026 grew only 1.1% year-over-year to $226.6M and full-year 2026 guidance is $948–988M. Go-to-market combines direct enterprise sales, an owned digital marketplace at gettyimages.com, an OEM/embedded channel through AI and design platforms (ChatGPT, Perplexity AI, Canva, Webflow), and event-driven content generation.

Getty Images is currently pursuing a $3.7 billion merger of equals with Shutterstock, which received unconditional U.S. DOJ clearance in February 2026 but remains subject to UK CMA review, with expected annual cost synergies of $150–200M. In June 2026 the company announced a multi-year display partnership with OpenAI to integrate its licensed imagery into ChatGPT's search and discovery features, a strategic pivot from its prior adversarial posture toward generative AI. The company carries a leveraged balance sheet, having completed a $628.4M Senior Secured Notes offering in October 2025, and reported a $206.1M net loss in FY2025 alongside insider sales at sub-$1 share prices amid NYSE delisting risk that has since receded following the OpenAI partnership announcement.

Name

Getty Images

Legal name

Getty Images Holdings, Inc.

Website

https://gettyimages.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Getty Images is a publicly traded visual content company (NYSE: GETY) that licenses rights-cleared photography, video and music from a 477-million-asset library to media organizations, brands, creative professionals and AI platforms including OpenAI and Perplexity AI.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Stock Photography and Visual Content Licensing

NAICS

Broadcasting and Content Providers (516), Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512), Music Publishers (51223), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Creator Licensing & Rights Monetization (UGC Licensing, Music/Video Rights) (MPACAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Content Licensing (Film/TV, Clips, Stills) (MPADALAA), Content Identification & Matching (Fingerprinting, ID Resolution) (MPAHALAE), Public Performance/Neighboring Rights for AV Uses (Cue Sheet & Reporting Services) (MPAIALAK), Archive & Library Footage Licensing (News, Sports, Entertainment) (MPABANAC)

Keywords

• Stock photography licensing
• Editorial imagery content
• Visual content licensing
• Stock video footage
• Rights-cleared imagery

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Content Licensing: Revenue from licensing stock images, editorial photography, video footage, and music to enterprise customers, media companies, and AI platforms through subscription and transaction-based models.
2. Enterprise Licensing Agreements: Large multi-year licensing deals with AI companies and social media platforms, including two significant multi-year agreements with a social media company and AI company that drove Q4 2025 revenue growth of 14.1%.
3. Custom Content: Custom content creation services including photography for events and brands, with 250% year-over-year growth in custom content revenue during Q1 2026.
4. Subscription Revenue: Recurring subscription revenue from iStock and Getty Images platforms, though iStock subscriber base declined after free trial program discontinuation in June 2025.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Getty Images operates a visual content licensing platform that distributes rights-cleared photography, video, and music from over 600,000 contributors, serving more than 477 million assets to enterprise customers, media organizations, brands, and creative professionals. The company monetizes its library through subscription-based access on Getty Images and iStock, direct enterprise licensing agreements with AI platforms and media companies, and custom content creation services.

Product overview

Getty Images operates a comprehensive visual content platform offering over 477 million licensed assets including photography, video, and music through its flagship Getty Images platform and iStock sub-brand. The company serves editorial, commercial, and creative customers with rights-cleared visual content, enhanced by acquired assets like Motorsport Images. Getty's distribution strategy includes AI licensing partnerships with platforms like OpenAI/ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Canva, as well as custom content services that saw 250% year-over-year growth in Q1 2026. Editorial photography services cover major events including the Met Gala, Tribeca Festival, FIFA World Cup, and U.S. Soccer matches. The pending $3.7 billion merger with Shutterstock aims to create the world's largest visual content company for AI image model training.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Getty Images Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• Q1 2026 revenue of $226.6 million, up 1.1% year-over-year with 250% growth in custom content revenue
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• OpenAIcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 21 June 2026Multi-year display partnership to integrate Getty Images' licensed photography library into ChatGPT's search and discovery features. The agreement enables OpenAI to display professionally cleared editorial images with attribution when users request visual content, covering news, sports, entertainment, and historical events. The deal positions Getty as a licensed visual-content supplier to AI-native search platforms, representing a strategic pivot from Getty's previous lawsuits against AI companies over copyright infringement.
• Perplexity AIflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 October 2025AI search partnership agreement for content integration similar to OpenAI arrangement, announced October 2025. Part of Getty's broader AI monetization strategy to expand presence in AI-powered platforms.
• ShutterstockcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPending $3.7 billion merger of equals combining two of the world's largest visual content platforms. Getty Images will pay £245 million cash plus 319.4 million shares. Expected to deliver $150-200 million in annual cost synergies by year three and create world's largest data source for AI image model training. Merger received DOJ clearance without conditions but still requires UK CMA approval. Getty shareholders will own approximately 54.7% of combined company.
• CanvaflagshipTechnology or IntegrationPartnership for visual content integration into Canva's design platform as part of Getty's AI-era distribution strategy and AI monetization initiatives.
• U.S. SoccercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMulti-year agreement naming Getty Images as Official Photographic Agency covering all national team matches, events, and programming including FIFA World Cup 2026. Getty will capture, authenticate, and distribute visual content while U.S. Soccer retains copyright ownership and gains access to global distribution through Getty Images' platform.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Shutterstock: Direct competitor in licensed stock imagery, video, and music; the two companies have announced a $3.7B merger of equals. Operates a nearly identical B2B licensing model targeting similar media, brand, and creative professional customer segments.
• Alamy: UK-based stock photography platform offering rights-managed and royalty-free imagery. Competes with Getty in editorial and commercial stock licensing, particularly strong in European markets and contributor-friendly positioning.
• Pond5: Specializes in royalty-free video footage, music, and sound effects, overlapping with Getty's video and music licensing business. Particularly strong with filmmakers, broadcasters, and production companies needing stock video.
• AP Images: Editorial photography arm of Associated Press providing news, sports, and entertainment imagery to media customers. Direct competitor in editorial photography licensing, the segment where Getty's exclusive event partnerships generate premium content.
• Reuters Images: Editorial news photography service from Reuters serving global media organizations. Direct competitor in editorial news photography, particularly for breaking news and political coverage where Getty has strong Washington D.C. operations.

Broad incumbents

• Adobe Stock: Stock imagery offering from Adobe integrated into Creative Cloud, serving creative professionals and enterprise marketing teams. Competes head-to-head with Getty Images and iStock in the same licensing category, with the advantage of native Creative Cloud distribution.

Emerging players

• Storyblocks: Subscription-based stock video and audio platform targeting SMBs and individual creators. Competes with iStock in the affordable subscription tier and represents a similar disruption model to what Getty itself employed with iStock.
• Pexels: Free stock photo and video platform with a contributor community model that competes in the long-tail of casual content needs. Operates in adjacent space to Getty's iStock sub-brand and Unsplash platform.
• Stocksy: Premium, curated stock photography platform with a contributor-owned cooperative model. Competes in the high-end commercial licensing space where Getty's editorial and creative content are strongest.

Regional players

• Depositphotos: Stock photography platform headquartered in Ukraine with strong Eastern European contributor base. Competes with iStock in the affordable subscription tier and SMB segment globally.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GettyImages
• Facebookfacebook.com/gettyimages
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/getty-images

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A15 records

Investments4 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Getty Images