Getty Images Surges 90% at Close on Image Licensing Deal with OpenAI
Claire Weston
Getty Images surged 90% Monday to $1.15 after announcing a licensing deal that puts its library inside ChatGPT's search — a narrative reversal for a stock that had lost 55% this year on fears AI would kill its core business.
What triggered a 90% single-day move?
Getty Images closed at $1.15 Monday, up 90% on the day and as much as 145% intraday — its best session since July 2022.
The catalyst: a Sunday announcement that Getty's library content will appear in ChatGPT's search and discovery features.
This means → when ChatGPT users search for images, they can surface and use licensed Getty photos, generating royalty revenue for Getty.
Why was this stock already down 55%?
From the start of 2025 through last Thursday's close, Getty had fallen roughly 55% to just $0.61.
The market's fear was straightforward: AI image-generation tools — type a prompt, get a picture — would make stock-photo libraries obsolete.
In plain terms = if AI can draw it, why pay Getty? That logic weighed on the stock for most of the year.
How does this deal change the narrative?
Benchmark analyst Mark Zgutowicz said the partnership could improve Getty's "licensing profile" and drive a re-rating of the stock.
He sees Getty repositioning as "a licensed visual-content supplier for AI-native search platforms" — shifting the AI narrative from "substitution risk" to "a monetizable distribution channel."
This means → the old story was "AI kills Getty"; the new story Getty wants to tell is "AI sells Getty's photos for it."
What did the deal leave unanswered?
Financial terms were not disclosed — how much Getty earns per image remains unknown.
It was also not stated whether Getty's images would be used to train future OpenAI models, a sensitive point.
The analyst acknowledged this narrative shift "has yet to translate into clear expectations at the recurring-revenue level" — the story sounds good, but the revenue hasn't followed yet.
What was Getty's prior stance on AI?
Getty was not purely adversarial: it tried building its own AI image generator while simultaneously suing Stability AI for allegedly using Getty content to train models without permission.
The OpenAI deal marks a strategic pivot from confrontation to integration.
This reflects a broader trend: OpenAI has recently signed licensing agreements with multiple news publishers and media organizations as its business expands into video and advertising.
What comes next?
Getty is still awaiting regulatory approval for its $3.7 billion acquisition of rival Shutterstock.
Its Q1 revenue, reported in May, missed market expectations — fundamental pressure has not lifted.
In plain terms = a 90% pop repairs sentiment, but the real test is whether this deal converts into sustained, recurring revenue — that is the make-or-break checkpoint for the narrative shift.
Content is for reference only, not financial advice.