Getty Images Scraps Shutterstock Merger After UK Watchdog Order

Getty Images has abandoned its $3.7 billion merger with Shutterstock after the UK's competition watchdog ordered the deal to be scrapped.

1 Jul, 00:17 — 1 Jul, 13:56

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Why this matters

The merger between Getty Images and Shutterstock would have created a dominant force in the stock photography and editorial content market. Its termination due to regulatory intervention highlights the increasing scrutiny of large corporate consolidations by competition watchdogs, especially in the UK.

Key entitiesGetty Images Shutterstock UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)

The Story

What 5 sources agree on, dispute, and miss

What sources agree on

Getty Images has scrapped its $3.7 billion merger with Shutterstock
The decision followed an order from the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
The CMA required a divestiture of Shutterstock's editorial business

Key claims2 agreed · 2 unverified

✓

The merger was valued at $3.7 billion

agreed·The IndependentYahooFThollywood-reporter

The deal was agreed upon in January

unverified·The Independent

✓

The CMA order required Getty to divest Shutterstock's editorial business

agreed·hollywood-reporterFT

Shutterstock's stock plummeted after the merger was scrapped

unverified·seeking-alpha

Coverage gaps

The specific value of the combined firm in British Pounds (£2.8 billion)

ReportedThe Independent

MissingYahooseeking-alphaFT+1

The fact that US regulators had already cleared the combination of rivals

ReportedFT

MissingThe IndependentYahooseeking-alpha+1

The Story

Analyzing sources…

Source Diversity

High (67/100)

5 sources33/33

Spectrum spread— 4/5 buckets covered25/33

Far L1

Far Left (1)

The Independent

Left2

Left (2)

Yahoohollywood-reporter

Center1

Center (1)

Right1

Right (1)

seeking-alpha

Far R

Geographic diversity— 2 regions9/34

US3UK2

Political spectrum

LeftCenterRight

independent

hollywood-reporter

yahoo

seeking-alpha

Outlet rating This story

SourceOutletiGeneral editorial lean of the outletStoryiHow they covered this specific storyToneFactuality

The Independentcenter-leftleftneutralMostly FactualFocus on financial details and UK regulatory impact

hollywood-reportercenter-leftcenter-leftneutralMostly FactualFocus on company's reasoning for deal termination

Coverage leans: center-left

The coverage is largely factual and reports on the business decision without strong political framing, leaning slightly center-left due to the general editorial stance of most included outlets.

Sources

Showing 5 of 5 sources

FTVery High39d ago

Getty scraps $3.7bn Shutterstock merger after UK watchdog order

US regulators had already cleared combination of rivals when CMA imposed conditions

Read full article →

The IndependentMostly Factual39d ago

Getty pulls £2.8bn tie-up with Shutterstock after CMA orders disposal

The two companies had agreed the deal in January to create a firm worth a combined 3.7 billion US dollars (£2.8 billion).

By Holly Williams

Read full article →

YahooMostly Factual39d ago

Getty Images terminates $3.7 billion Shutterstock merger

Read full article →

hollywood-reporterMostly Factual39d ago

Getty Images Abandons $3.7 Billion Merger With Shutterstock

The photo giant chalks up the scuttling of the deal to a U.K. regulator requiring a divestiture of its rival's editorial business, a non-starter for the company.

By Erik Hayden

Read full article →

seeking-alphaMixed39d ago

Shutterstock plummets after Getty scraps merger and editorial sale

Read full article →

Coverage Timeline

First report: hollywood-reporter · 1 Jul, 00:17|Full coverage: 5 · 14h|Window: 14h

Left-leaningCenterRight-leaning

hollywood-reporter1 Jul, 00:17First to report

Getty Images Abandons $3.7 Billion Merger With Shutterstock

10h later

FT1 Jul, 09:51

Getty scraps $3.7bn Shutterstock merger after UK watchdog order

2h later

seeking-alpha1 Jul, 12:00

Shutterstock plummets after Getty scraps merger and editorial sale

Yahoo1 Jul, 13:00

Getty Images terminates $3.7 billion Shutterstock merger

The Independent1 Jul, 13:56Latest update

Getty pulls £2.8bn tie-up with Shutterstock after CMA orders disposal

Story evolution

The narrative shifted from a planned consolidation to a story of regulatory intervention preventing a major industry merger.

Initial AgreementJanuary (as per independent)

Getty Images and Shutterstock agreed to a merger deal in January, valued at $3.7 billion.

Regulatory ScrutinyPrior to July 1st

US regulators cleared the deal, but the UK's CMA imposed conditions, specifically requiring the divestiture of Shutterstock's editorial business.

Merger TerminationJuly 1st

Getty Images announced the termination of the merger, citing the CMA's divestiture order as a non-starter.

PERSPECTA

PERSPECTA

Getty Images Scraps Shutterstock Merger After UK Watchdog Order

Why this matters

The Story

What sources agree on

Key claims2 agreed · 2 unverified

Coverage gaps

The Story

Source Diversity

Source Diversity

Political spectrum

Sources

Getty scraps $3.7bn Shutterstock merger after UK watchdog order

Getty pulls £2.8bn tie-up with Shutterstock after CMA orders disposal

Getty Images terminates $3.7 billion Shutterstock merger

Getty Images Abandons $3.7 Billion Merger With Shutterstock

Shutterstock plummets after Getty scraps merger and editorial sale

Coverage Timeline

Getty Images Abandons $3.7 Billion Merger With Shutterstock

Getty scraps $3.7bn Shutterstock merger after UK watchdog order

Shutterstock plummets after Getty scraps merger and editorial sale

Getty Images terminates $3.7 billion Shutterstock merger

Getty pulls £2.8bn tie-up with Shutterstock after CMA orders disposal

Story evolution

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PERSPECTA

Why this matters

Story evolution

The Story

What sources agree on

Key claims2 agreed · 2 unverified

Coverage gaps

Political spectrum

Coverage matrix