Getty Images Holdings, Inc. (GETY) Stock Analysis

Getty Images’ primary competitive advantage is its scale and exclusivity in high-quality visual content. Approximately two-thirds of revenue is derived from exclusive content—images, video, and editorial material not available through other providers.¹ This exclusivity is underpinned by over 80,000 exclusive contributors and 70+ exclusive content partners, including major organizations such as BBC Studios.² The company’s archive exceeds 600 million assets, with 11 million new assets added quarterly, offering breadth and depth unmatched by most rivals.³

Getty’s customer base is diversified and loyal: 81% of 2023 revenue came from customers with tenures exceeding six years, and annual subscription products now account for over half of total revenue, supporting high retention (annual subscriber revenue retention rate: 92.9% in 2024)⁴. The company’s unified cloud-based platform, enhanced by proprietary AI tools, enables efficient content management and search, and supports the rollout of commercially safe generative AI services—an area where Getty’s indemnification and contributor compensation policies differentiate it from competitors like Shutterstock and Adobe⁵.

While rivals such as Shutterstock and Adobe offer large libraries and integrated creative tools, Getty’s focus on exclusive, premium content and deep editorial partnerships provides a defensible niche.⁶ However, the company faces ongoing threats from free content platforms, generative AI disruptors, and aggressive pricing by competitors.⁷⁸ Its ability to maintain contributor relationships and invest in technology will be critical to sustaining its edge.⁹