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Britain Approves Getty’s $3.7 Billion Shutterstock Deal With Conditions

By  |  May 17, 2026
Getty Images

Britain’s competition regulator said on Friday it would approve Getty Images proposed $3.7 billion merger with Shutterstock, provided Shutterstock agrees to sell its editorial division to address concerns over competition in the supply of news and entertainment imagery in the UK.

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    The decision follows an in-depth investigation launched in November by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority after the companies’ initial proposals failed to resolve competition concerns, according to Reuters. The regulator had been examining whether combining two of the largest image providers could reduce options for British media organizations that rely on editorial photography and video content.

    On Friday, the CMA said the companies had since proposed divesting Shutterstock’s global editorial business, which includes entertainment and celebrity image brands such as Backgrid and Splash. The companies described the unit as non-core to their broader businesses, per Reuters.

    Related: Shutterstock Reaches $35 Million FTC Settlement Over Subscription Billing Practices

    The regulator’s independent inquiry group concluded that without the sale, the merger could significantly reduce competition in the UK market for editorial imagery. It said Shutterstock remains one of the “few meaningful” competitors to Getty in the sector, and warned that combining the businesses without remedies could leave UK media customers with fewer choices and potentially higher prices, according to Reuters.

    Representatives for Getty Images and Shutterstock did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In U.S. premarket trading, Getty shares rose 3.8%, while Shutterstock gained 1.1%, per Reuters.

    Source: Reuters