Getty Images Terminates Merger Agreement with Shutterstock
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 11 hours ago
0mins
The company stated in 8-K filing. "As previously announced, on January 6, 2025, Getty Images entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger, by and among Getty Images, Shutterstock, Inc. and certain merger subsidiaries thereof. As also previously announced, on June 30, 2026, the Board of Directors of Getty Images unanimously resolved (a) not to proceed with the process to sell Shutterstock's editorial business under the supervision of the U.K. Competition and Markets Authority, which was a condition to the CMA's required clearance of the transactions that Getty Images was not required to accept under the terms of the Merger Agreement and (b) to terminate the Merger Agreement following the passage of the Second Extended End Date on July 6, 2026, assuming no material change in the aforementioned circumstances. On July 7, 2026, Getty Images delivered a written notice to Shutterstock terminating the Merger Agreement pursuant to the terms thereof, effective upon delivery of such notice. Following termination of the Merger Agreement, Getty Images, Inc.'s outstanding 10.500% senior secured notes due 2030 will be redeemed pursuant to the terms of the indenture governing the Senior Secured Notes."
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About GETY
Getty Images Holdings, Inc. is a global visual content creator and marketplace company. The Company offers a full range of content solutions to meet the needs of any customer around the globe. Through its Getty Images, iStock and Unsplash brands, websites and application programming interfaces (APIs), the Company serves customers and discovers, purchases and shares visual content from photographers and videographers. The Company covers approximately 160,000 news, sport and entertainment events, providing depth and breadth of coverage. The Company also maintains photographic archives in the world with millions of images dating back to the beginning of photography. It works with approximately 600,000 contributors and more than 360 content partners. Its Getty Images, iStock, and Unsplash brands categorize its content and services into three categories: Creative, Editorial, and Other. Its Gettyimages.com offers premium creative content and editorial coverage, including video.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- CEO Statement: Shutterstock's CEO Paul Hennessy emphasized the company's strong position as a standalone entity, focusing on executing its strategy and capitalizing on significant future opportunities, reflecting confidence in the company's outlook.
- Board Resolution: The Shutterstock board resolved to officially terminate the merger agreement after July 6, assuming no material changes occur prior to July 7, indicating decisive action in the face of regulatory challenges.
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