Getty Images shares surge after OpenAI signs multi-year content licensing deal

Getty Images has signed a multi-year agreement with OpenAI that will make its licensed visual content available through ChatGPT's search and discovery features, a move that sparked a sharp rally in the company's shares ahead of market open on Monday, as per a Bloomberg report.The announcement sent Getty Images stock soaring in premarket trading as investors reacted positively to the company's latest partnership with one of the world's leading artificial intelligence firms.Under the agreement, ChatGPT users will be able to access Getty Images' licensed content library through OpenAI's platform. Financial details of the partnership were not disclosed, and the companies did not specify whether Getty's content could be used to train future OpenAI models."High-quality, licensed visual content makes AI-powered search and discovery more useful and more trustworthy," Getty Images CEO Craig Peters said in a statement."This partnership with OpenAI reflects a shared recognition of that, and together we will deliver richer visual experiences to ChatGPT users," he added.The deal represents a notable shift in Getty Images' approach to the AI industry. The company had previously taken a cautious stance toward generative AI, introducing a ban on AI-generated artwork on its platform in 2022 and pursuing legal action against AI image-generation company Stability AI over alleged copyright infringement.More recently, however, Getty has begun exploring licensing partnerships with AI companies. In late 2025, the company entered into a content licensing arrangement with AI search startup Perplexity, allowing the platform to use Getty's image library while providing attribution and source links.The OpenAI partnership further expands Getty's presence in the rapidly evolving AI ecosystem, where technology companies are increasingly seeking access to licensed content as they develop search, discovery and advertising products.For OpenAI, the agreement adds to a growing list of partnerships with content providers as the company broadens ChatGPT's capabilities beyond conversational AI. The company has been investing in content relationships while expanding into areas such as search, commerce and advertising.Getty Images works with nearly 600,000 contributors worldwide and provides coverage of more than 160,000 news, sports and entertainment events annually. The company is also awaiting regulatory approval for its proposed $3.7 billion acquisition of rival Shutterstock, a transaction that would further consolidate the stock photography and visual content market.Also read: Meta pauses AI training program amid investigation into employee data exposure