Getty Images ends $3.7B Shutterstock mergerends $3.7B Shutterstock merger after UK regulator demand

Getty Images cancelled its planned $3.7 billion merger with Shutterstock on July 7, 2026, following a directive from the UK Competition and Markets Authority requiring the sale of editorial assets.

The companies, which license photos, music, and videos to major media firms and creative businesses, abandoned the deal amid growing pressure from AI-generated image tools reshaping the visual content industry.

The collapse underscores the financial risks facing traditional stock photography firms as they struggle to adapt to cheaper, faster AI alternatives.