Getty Images has reached an agreement with major lenders to restructure its debt and take the US-based visual media company private through a pre-packaged bankruptcy process.
The company announced on Monday that members of the Getty family and affiliates of Koch Equity Development would invest up to $533 million in new equity to support the restructuring and reduce its debt burden.
Getty Images said it had secured an agreement with all major financial stakeholder groups on the terms of a comprehensive restructuring, setting the stage for a court-supervised process to reorganise its finances.
“There is no anticipated impact on content contributors, partners, customers, or employees across the Company’s worldwide network,” the company said in its announcement.
The company plans to pursue a pre-packaged Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in the United States. The process allows a financially distressed business to negotiate a restructuring plan with creditors before filing for court protection, potentially making the process faster and more predictable.
Getty Images said the required majority of creditors had committed to voting in favour of the plan, with the company targeting completion of the restructuring by the end of 2026, subject to court approval and the fulfilment of other conditions.
Chapter 11 proceedings generally allow businesses to continue operating while restructuring their finances and negotiating with creditors, rather than immediately liquidating their assets.
The announcement comes amid mounting financial pressure on Getty Images. Earlier in October, the company disclosed in a securities filing that it had been notified of plans to delist its shares from the New York Stock Exchange after its stock price fell below $1.
Getty Images reported a net loss of $206.1 million in 2025, highlighting the financial challenges facing the company as it seeks to stabilise its operations and reduce its debt.
The proposed investment from the Getty family and Koch Equity Development is expected to support the restructuring, although the company has not indicated that the financial pressures have been fully resolved.
Getty Images supplies licensed photographs, editorial images, videos and other visual content to publishers, broadcasters, businesses and individual customers around the world. It also works with news organisations, including Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The company said the restructuring was intended to strengthen its financial position while maintaining continuity for its global network of contributors, customers, partners and employees.
The process is expected to conclude by the end of 2026, subject to the necessary court approvals and completion of the restructuring arrangements.
