Last week Taylor Davidson published a list of
86 acquisitions and IPOs in the imaging industry from 2004 to today. Included in his report are a lot of social media acquisitions that are probably of minor interest to my reader. In addition he left out a number of stock agency acquisition, many of which I believe are significant.
Consequently, I’ve decided it’s time to update my report
Consolidation Frenzy: Sizing Up Agency Acquisitions published in 2008.
Among the most interesting acquisitions are those of
Getty Images. Getty itself was acquired by the Private Equity firm
Hellman & Friedman in February 2008. H&F then sold its interests in Getty to the
Carlyle Group in August 2012. I’ve identified 52 stock agencies that Getty has acquired over the years. One of those was Jupitermedia which had acquired 31 separate companies before it was sold to Getty in 2009. Another was Photolibrary that had acquired 22 separate companies before Getty bought it in 2011. Thus, the assets Carlyle now controls started life at more than 100 different companies. I’m sure my list is not complete.
Davidson points out that many of the companies on his list are not photography industry companies, but imagery has been critical to their product and an engine for their growth. He says, “I think they are important signals behind how the industry has changed and where the opportunities lie.”
In the list below, I have identified 51 companies that license rights to stock photos and have acquired at least one other company since the early 1990s. I do not have dates for most of these acquisitions, but thanks to Davidson, I have been able to attach dates to the companies that are also included on his list. In the six digit number the first four numbers are the year and the last two are the month.
Two other lists that may be helpful are
Leading Stock Photo Sellers – 2008 and
Getty Acquisitions. I would appreciate receiving information about other acquisitions that should be added to my list.
| Acquirer |
yyyymm |
Acquirer |
yyyymm |
Acquirer |
yyyymm |
| GETTY IMAGES |
|
JUPITERMEDIA |
|
PHOTOLIBRARHY |
|
| Tony Stone Images |
|
Art Today |
|
Anthony Blake |
|
| Click/Chicago |
|
Photos.com |
|
CDI Images MidEast |
|
| After Image |
1991 |
PhotoObjects.net |
|
Garden Picture Library |
|
| Allstock |
|
Clipart.com |
|
Image Ideas |
|
| PhotoDisc |
|
Comstock |
200404 |
Monsoon Images |
|
| Allsport |
|
Thinkstock |
|
Oxford Scientific |
|
| Art.com |
|
Hemera (Able Stock) |
|
Photographers Library |
|
| American Royal Arts |
|
Dynamic Graphics |
|
Photolibrary India |
|
| Hulton Deutsch |
|
IT Stock |
|
Stock Image Group, NZ |
|
| Liaison |
|
Creatas |
|
TOP |
|
| Newsmakers |
|
Liquid Library |
|
Index Stock |
|
| Online USA |
|
PictureQuest |
|
Telephoto |
|
| The Image Bank |
|
Goodshoot |
|
Profiles West |
|
| Artville |
|
PictureArts |
200507 |
Southern Stock |
|
| Archive |
|
FoodPix |
|
Picture Cube |
|
| Swanstock |
|
BrandX |
|
Third Coast |
|
| VCG |
|
Botonica |
|
Stock Imagery |
|
| Telegraph Colour Library |
|
nonstock |
|
PhotoBank |
|
| FPG |
|
Bananastock |
|
LightSources |
|
| Bavaria |
|
PR Direct |
|
Stockworks |
|
| PIX (France) |
|
AgenceImage |
|
Webspice |
|
| Definitive Stock |
|
Animation Factory |
|
VPA Images |
|
| Colorific |
|
Stock Image S.A.S. |
200602 |
|
|
| Planet Earth |
|
Pixland |
|
|
|
| EyeWire Partners |
|
Stockxpert.com |
|
|
|
| I/US & Eyewire Services |
|
Bigshot Media |
|
|
|
| ImageDirect |
|
The Beauty Archive |
|
|
|
| Imagenet Limited |
|
Cover Images |
|
|
|
| Mission Studios Ltd |
|
IFA Bilderteam |
|
|
|
| Retrofile |
|
Workbookstock.com |
200606 |
|
|
| Digital Vision |
200504 |
Mediabistro |
200707 |
|
|
| Photonica/Iconica |
200505 |
|
|
|
|
| Medio Images |
|
|
|
|
|
| Rubberball |
|
|
|
|
|
| E-Lance Media GmbH |
|
|
|
|
|
| Bongarts Sportsfotographie |
|
|
|
|
|
| Sportimage Fotoagentur |
|
|
|
|
|
| Energy Film Library |
|
|
|
|
|
| iStockphoto |
200602 |
|
|
|
|
| Michael Ochs Archive |
|
|
|
|
|
| Laura Ronchi, SpA |
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoopt |
200703 |
|
|
|
|
| Stockbyte |
200602 |
|
|
|
|
| StockDisc |
|
|
|
|
|
| MediaVast (WireImage) |
200702 |
|
|
|
|
| Punchstock |
|
|
|
|
|
| Redferns Library |
200812 |
|
|
|
|
| image.net |
200408 |
|
|
|
|
| Lonely Planet |
201204 |
|
|
|
|
| PicScout |
201104 |
|
|
|
|
| Jupitermedia |
200902 |
|
|
|
|
| Photolibrary |
201105 |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| CORBIS |
|
IMAGESTATE |
|
EYEDEA |
|
| Ressmeyer Collection |
|
Pictor |
|
Hachette Filipacchi |
|
| The Bettman Archive |
|
Uniphoto |
|
HoaQui |
|
| Turnley Collection |
|
Weststock |
|
Rapho |
|
| LGI |
|
John Foxx BV |
|
Keystone France |
|
| Digital Stock |
|
Zephyr Imagesw |
|
Gamma |
|
| Westlight |
|
Advernture Photo |
|
Jacana |
|
| Outline |
|
Images Colour Library |
|
Explorer |
|
| Sygma |
|
Photolink, Inc. |
|
Top |
|
| Tempsport |
|
International Stock |
|
Stills |
|
| Saba Press |
|
Heritage Image Partners |
|
MPA |
|
| Sharpshooters |
|
Art Media |
|
Grandeur Nature |
|
| The Stock Market |
|
Ann Ronan |
|
|
|
| Sekani |
|
Impact |
|
amana |
|
| Second Line Search |
|
Spectrum |
|
Orion Press |
|
| Zefa |
200506 |
|
|
Neo Vision |
|
| Roger Richman |
|
DESIGN PICS |
|
Sekaibunka Photo |
|
| Image 100 |
|
First Light |
201112 |
Imperial Press Japan |
|
| eMotion |
|
Pacific Stock |
201112 |
Digital Archive (Sebum) |
|
| Australian Picture Library |
200506 |
Alaska Stock Images |
201210 |
aiwest shares |
|
| Beateworks |
|
AgStock |
201311 |
Nature Production |
|
| Veer |
200711 |
Axion Photo Agency |
201212 |
|
|
| Solus |
|
|
|
|
|
| Splash Media |
201107 |
STOCK COLLECTORS |
|
SHUTTERSTOCK |
|
| Norm Marshall Group |
201201 |
Irish Image Collectors |
201210 |
Bigstock |
200909 |
| Demotix |
201211 |
|
|
IPO |
201210 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| PHOTOSHOT |
|
FOTOLIA |
|
|
|
| NHPA |
|
Wilogo.com |
201203 |
a21 |
201207 |
| Oceans Image |
|
|
|
Superstock |
200403 |
| StayStill |
|
MASTERFILE |
|
Ingram |
|
| Universal Pictorial Press |
|
Crestock |
201007 |
Art Select |
|
| World Pictures |
|
|
|
|
|
| The Data Archive |
201401 |
wildlife.de |
|
SUPERSTOCK |
|
| Woodfall Wild Images |
|
Juniors |
|
Science Faction Images |
201207 |
| Still Pictures |
|
|
|
|
|
| Specialist Stock |
|
OKAPIA |
|
INGRAM IMAGES |
|
| Bruce Coleman (NY) |
|
Save bild |
|
Reflex Stock |
201105 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| UNIVERSAL IMAGE GROUP |
|
PHOTONONSTOP |
|
POND5 |
|
| Ad Stock Images |
201206 |
Biosphoto |
201208 |
Pixmac |
201303 |
| MyLoupe |
201206 |
Envision |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| ART.COM |
|
dapd MEDIA HOLDING |
|
CORDON PRESS |
|
| Zenfolio |
201301 |
Picture Press |
201204 |
Latinstock Spain |
201201 |
| |
|
AP France |
202107 |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| YAHOO |
|
IAC |
|
123RF |
|
| Flickr |
200503 |
Vimeo |
200608 |
Zcool |
201205 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| ROBERT HARDING |
|
TOPHAM PICTUREPOINT |
|
BRIDGEMEN ART LIB. |
|
| WORLD IMAGERY |
|
Charles Walker Collection |
|
Fotomas Index, UK |
|
| Specialist Stock |
201203 |
Syndicated Features |
|
Giraudon |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| MARY EVANS |
|
IMAGES.COM |
|
CAMERA PRESS |
|
| Barnabys |
|
Graphistock |
|
Katz |
|
| Illustrtated London News |
|
Stock Illustration Source |
|
K2 |
|
| Thomas Fall Collection |
|
|
|
|
|
| Weimar Collection |
|
NORDIC PHOTOS |
|
GRANT HEILMAN |
|
| Ardea |
|
GV Press |
|
Photo Network |
|
| |
|
GreatShots |
|
|
|
| HAYMARKET CONSUMER |
|
|
|
SCANPIX |
|
| REPORT |
|
PRESS ASSOCIATION |
|
IFOT |
|
| Back Page Images |
|
All Action Digital |
|
Pressens Bild |
|
| LAT Photographic |
|
Empics |
|
Tidningamas |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| BROWN REFERENCE GROUP |
|
BULLS PRESS |
|
REUTERS |
|
| Robert Hunt Library |
|
Fennopress |
|
Action Images |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| APA |
|
PHAZE-9 |
|
IMAGE SOURCE |
|
| Contrast |
|
Focus Speed |
|
Cultura |
201210 |
| Keystone Switzerland |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| SCOTSMAN PUBLICATIONS |
|
CONTENTIMINE |
|
THOUGHT EQUITY |
|
| Topix |
|
Transglobe |
|
Triangle Images |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| F1ONLINE |
|
MAINSTREAM DATA |
|
BBC PICTURE LIBRARY |
|
| Image Direkt |
|
Newscom |
|
Lonely Planet Images |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| GALLO IMAGES |
|
COMPANIES CLOSED |
|
|
|
| Touchline Photos |
|
Bruce Coleman |
|
|
|
| |
|
Photoexposure.com |
|
|
|
| |
|
Folio |
|
|
|
| |
|
Adobe Stock Photos |
|
|
|