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UK regulator warns Getty-Shutterstock $3.7 billion merger may harm competition
The UK Competition and Markets Authority warns the $3.7 billion merger could raise prices and reduce service quality for media and creative customers, the regulator said.
- Getty Images and Shutterstock announced an agreement to merge, creating a company valued at approximately $3.7 billion, prompting Britain's Competition and Markets Authority to open a probe.
- The CMA found that editorial supply is concentrated, with Getty Images as market leader and Shutterstock one of the few material alternatives in entertainment and archive content.
- Media groups and industry voices warned the merger could raise prices and reduce service quality, with PetaPixel's editor-in-chief calling it `just one more step down the road to rock bottom` and Angus Mordant saying it would `create a monopoly that only stands to hurt photographers`.
- The regulator has set an October 27 deadline for undertakings to address its concerns, and if remedies fall short, the CMA can refer the case to a phase two investigation; both companies say they remain committed while Getty declined to comment on remedies.
- Rapid technological change positions regulators as generative AI tools reshape image licensing, while new Getty Images is valued at $3.7 billion, capturing nearly 75% of the 2025 market.
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UK regulator warns Getty-Shutterstock $3.7 billion merger may harm competition
Britain's competition watchdog said on Monday the proposed $3.7 billion merger between U.S.-based Getty Images and rival Shutterstock could substantially harm competition in editorial and stock photography markets.
·United Kingdom
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mediagazer.comThe UK CMA says Getty Images and Shutterstock's $3.7B merger raises competition concerns and gives the companies until October 27 to make a plan to address them
Ian Walker / Wall Street Journal: The UK CMA says Getty Images and Shutterstock's $3.7B merger raises competition concerns and gives the companies until October 27 to make a plan to address them — The regulator says it will refer the deal for further investigation if the companies don't provide an acceptable undertaking to address concerns
·California, United States
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