Getty Images Holdings Inc.Multi-year display partnership with OpenAI validates AI licensing model, driving stock surge and derisking merger.
Getty Images announced a multi-year display partnership with OpenAI on June 21, 2026, integrating licensed visual libraries directly into ChatGPT's search and discovery experiences. The agreement is strictly a display partnership and does not grant model training rights, mirroring a similar October 2025 contract with Perplexity AI. The deal drove Getty's stock from an all-time low of 58 cents on June 18 to $1.29 on June 22, helping it escape a NYSE non-compliance warning. The commercial validation also derisks the pending $3.7 billion merger with Shutterstock, which has secured regulatory clearance from the US Department of Justice and the UK's Competition and Markets Authority. The combined entity expects $150 million to $200 million in annual cost savings by year three, addressing Getty's roughly $2.0 billion debt burden.
Getty Images Holdings Inc.Multi-year display partnership with OpenAI validates AI licensing model, driving stock surge and derisking merger.
ShutterstockPending merger with Getty Images gains regulatory clearance and expected cost savings, reducing debt burden.
Partnership integrates licensed visual libraries into ChatGPT, enhancing search and discovery capabilities.