Getty Images has abandoned its proposed $3.7 billion merger with Shutterstock after its board unanimously determined that remedies required by the U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority were unacceptable.
The CMA required the sale of Shutterstock’s (NYSE: SSTK) editorial business as a condition for approval, prompting Getty (NYSE: GETY) to terminate the transaction, according to a regulatory filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Following the decision, Getty said it will engage a financial advisor to evaluate strategic financing alternatives, Reuters reported. The merger, first announced in January 2025, would have combined two of the world’s largest providers of stock photography, video and editorial imagery. Shutterstock is a global provider of stock photography, video, music and creative assets, serving businesses, media organizations and creators through a library of more than 450 million images. Getty Images, headquartered in Seattle, supplies editorial photography and video to news organizations, brands and entertainment clients worldwide, including coverage of major sporting events, red carpets and film festivals.