Getty Images

About Getty Images

Financials

Dated, source-cited figures. Estimates are marked.

Products by Getty Images

All products by Getty Images reviewed by our AI panel of experts.

Getty Images AIAI Image Generation

Commercially safe generative AI images built on Getty's licensed library

From $15/mo7.2/10

Competitive Landscape

Who Getty Images competes with, and how they differ.

Adobe Firefly7.9/10

Also trained on licensed content (Adobe Stock) with IP indemnification, but backed by Creative Cloud's huge distribution and generates video, audio, and vector graphics alongside images -- a broader multi-modal suite than Getty's photo-focused generator.

3 products reviewed on TopReviewed

Shutterstock's Generative AI7.3/10

Nearly identical model: images, vectors, and video generated from licensed contributor content with commercial indemnification. Getty and Shutterstock signed a $3.7B merger-of-equals agreement in January 2025 to combine the two companies, but Getty terminated the deal in July 2026 after a UK antitrust regulator demanded Shutterstock divest its editorial business.

1 product reviewed on TopReviewed

Bria AI7.9/10

Also builds exclusively on licensed training data for enterprise-safe generation, but ships as a developer-first API/SDK for embedding into other products rather than Getty's end-user web tool layered on its stock marketplace.

1 product reviewed on TopReviewed

Stability AI (Stable Diffusion)7.7/10

Opposite training-data approach: Stable Diffusion is open-weight and trained on broadly scraped web images rather than licensed content. Getty sued Stability AI in the UK and US in 2023 over alleged unauthorized use of 12M+ Getty photos; the UK High Court largely rejected Getty's copyright claims in November 2025.

1 product reviewed on TopReviewed

Midjourney5.5/10

A mainstream consumer/creative image generator with a far larger user base and aesthetic-first outputs, but no licensed-training or commercial-indemnification guarantee -- serves artists and hobbyists rather than Getty's enterprise and brand-safety-focused buyers.

1 product reviewed on TopReviewed

Company Timeline

Key milestones in Getty Images's history, with sources.

1. Jul 7, 2026Milestone

   Terminates $3.7B Shutterstock Merger After UK Antitrust Demand

   Getty Images delivered written notice terminating its merger agreement with Shutterstock after declining a UK Competition and Markets Authority condition requiring Shutterstock to divest its editorial business; the termination triggers a special mandatory redemption of Getty's 10.500% senior secured notes due 2030.

   sec.gov
2. Jun 21, 2026Partnership

   Announces Multi-Year Display Partnership With OpenAI

   Getty Images signed a multi-year agreement bringing its licensed content libraries into OpenAI's search and discovery experiences within ChatGPT, enhancing the visual richness of AI-generated answers; GETY shares surged on the announcement.

   sec.gov
3. Nov 4, 2025Milestone

   Largely Loses Landmark UK Copyright Case Against Stability AI

   England's High Court rejected Getty's core copyright-infringement claims against Stability AI over Stable Diffusion's use of Getty images, in what legal commentators called the most significant AI copyright ruling to date; Getty issued a public statement responding to the ruling.

   news.google.com
4. Jan 7, 2025Milestone

   Signs $3.7B Merger Agreement With Shutterstock

   Getty Images and Shutterstock entered a definitive merger-of-equals agreement valuing the combined company at approximately $3.7B enterprise value; the combined entity was to retain the Getty Images name and NYSE ticker GETY. CEO Craig Peters called it "transformational."

   sec.gov
5. Jan 8, 2024Launch

   Launches Generative AI by iStock, Powered by NVIDIA AI Foundry

   Getty extended its licensed-data generative AI tool to iStock, its small-business-focused brand, continuing its NVIDIA-powered generative image partnership.

   usine-digitale.fr
6. Sep 25, 2023Launch

   Launches Generative AI by Getty Images

   Getty released a commercially safe text-to-image generator built on NVIDIA's Edify model from the Picasso model library and trained exclusively on roughly 477 million licensed Getty assets, offering royalty-free, indemnified, perpetual worldwide usage rights and contributor revenue share.

   techcrunch.com
7. Feb 6, 2023Milestone

   Files US Copyright Lawsuit Against Stability AI

   Getty filed suit against Stability AI in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, alleging Stable Diffusion was trained on more than 12 million Getty photos without permission or compensation, with press reports characterizing potential damages as up to $1.8 trillion.

   news.google.com
8. Jan 17, 2023Milestone

   Files UK Copyright and Trademark Lawsuit Against Stability AI

   Getty filed a parallel lawsuit in London's High Court accusing Stability AI of unlawfully using millions of copyrighted Getty images to train Stable Diffusion, opening the litigation that would culminate in the November 2025 UK ruling.

   news.google.com
9. Jul 22, 2022Milestone

   Returns to Public Markets via SPAC Merger With CC Neuberger

   Getty Images completed its business combination with CC Neuberger Principal Holdings II, a Delaware SPAC, and began trading on the NYSE under ticker GETY, marking its return to public markets after roughly 14 years of private ownership.

   sec.gov
10. Sep 4, 2018Acquisition

    Getty Family Regains Majority Control From Carlyle Group

    The Getty family bought out Carlyle Group's majority stake for roughly $250 million, ending six years of private-equity control at a company valuation just under $3 billion including debt; Craig Peters was named CEO.

    uk.news.yahoo.com
11. Aug 15, 2012Acquisition

    Carlyle Group Acquires Majority Stake for $3.3 Billion

    Private equity firm Carlyle Group agreed to buy a majority stake in Getty Images from Hellman & Friedman for $3.3 billion, with founders Mark Getty and Jonathan Klein rolling over most of their equity into the new ownership structure.

    europe1.fr
12. 1995Founded

    Getty Images Founded in Seattle

    Mark Getty and Jonathan Klein founded Getty Images in Seattle, building what would become one of the world's largest visual content marketplaces.

    europe1.fr