Open report — full analysis, no account required.
Sign up to generate reports and read filings that aren't on the open list.
Get notified when SSTK files again. Create a free account and we'll email you the moment its next filing is analyzed.
Get filing alertsShutterstock-Getty merger terminated after Getty declines UK-mandated editorial divestiture
Filed July 9, 2026 · Period ending July 7, 2026 · ~1 min read
Key Changes
-
high
Merger agreement with Getty Images terminated July 7, 2026, after Getty's board declined to pursue UK-mandated sale of Shutterstock's editorial business
Item 1.02 verify on EDGAR → -
high
UK Competition and Markets Authority conditioned merger approval on Shutterstock divesting its editorial business, a requirement Getty Images chose not to fulfill
Item 1.02 verify on EDGAR → -
high
Getty Images board unanimously resolved June 30 not to proceed with the divestiture process and to terminate the merger agreement after the July 6 deadline
Item 1.02 verify on EDGAR →
Summary
Shutterstock's proposed merger with Getty Images, announced in January 2025, has been terminated after UK competition regulators imposed a divestiture requirement Getty Images' board chose not to meet. The UK Competition and Markets Authority conditioned its approval on Shutterstock selling its editorial business—a remedy Getty Images' board unanimously rejected on June 30, 2026.
The merger agreement was terminated July 7 after Getty Images' board allowed the extended deadline to pass. For Shutterstock shareholders, this ends an 18-month transaction process: they lose the Getty deal consideration and the company returns to standalone operations.
Section-by-Section Diff
Event · Item 1.02 — Termination of a Material Definitive Agreement
Item 1.02 — Termination of a Material Definitive Agreement filed; see Key Changes for terms.
Added in current filing · verify on EDGAR →
On July 7, 2026, the Merger Agreement was terminated.
The merger agreement between Shutterstock and Getty Images, originally announced in January 2025, has been terminated. The UK Competition and Markets Authority had conditioned its approval on Shutterstock selling its editorial business, but Getty Images' board decided not to proceed with that divestiture process and terminated the agreement after the July 6, 2026 deadline passed.
Added in current filing · verify on EDGAR →
After reviewing the proposed merger, the U.K. Competition and Markets Authority (the “CMA”) conditioned its required clearance of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement upon a sale of the Company’s editorial business.
The UK competition regulator required Shutterstock to divest its editorial business as a condition for approving the Getty Images merger. This regulatory hurdle proved insurmountable, as Getty Images' board chose not to pursue the required divestiture.
Thanks — your feedback helps us improve report quality.
Figures/quotes linked to EDGAR · Narrative written by AI · Jul 9, 2026 · How we verify