Getty Images (GETY) Q1 2025 Earnings Call May 12, 2025 04:30 PM ET Company Participants Steven Kanner - Vice President of Investor Relations & TreasuryCraig Peters - Chief Executive OfficerJennifer Leyden - CFORonald Josey - Managing DirectorDanny Pfeiffer - Equity Research Associate Conference Call Participants Mark Zgutowicz - Equity Research Analyst Steven Kanner Before we begin, we would like to note that due to the ongoing regulatory review process, we will not be able to comment on the status of the m ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - First quarter revenue for 2025 was $224.1 million, representing growth of 0.8% or 2.6% on a currency neutral basis [4][11] - Adjusted EBITDA was $70.1 million for the quarter, down 0.1% or up 2.2% on a currency neutral basis [4][17] - Annual subscription revenue was 57.2% of total revenue in Q1, up from 54.7% in Q1 of last year [12] - Free cash flow was negative $0.3 million, down from $7.1 million in Q1 2024 [19] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Subscription revenue grew by 5.4% or 7.2% on a currency neutral basis, driven primarily by growth in premium access [12] - Paid downloads were down slightly at $93 million, while video attachment rate rose to 16.7% from 14% in the previous year [13] - Editorial revenue increased by 4% year on year to $82.6 million, while creative revenue decreased by 4.8% year on year to $132.2 million [13][14] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue growth of 6.4% in The Americas, while EMEA was down 3% and APAC was down less than 1% [15] - The annual subscription revenue retention rate was 92.7%, up from 90% in the previous year [12] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is committed to investing in core assets and evolving offerings to deepen relevance for customers [10] - The annual subscription business represents more than half of total revenue, positioning the company to adapt to macroeconomic uncertainties [9] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted that revenue was impacted by early FX pressures, tariff-driven uncertainty, and softness in agency and entertainment sectors [5][11] - The company expects to close the merger with Shutterstock in the second half of 2025, pending regulatory approvals [9][8] - Guidance for full year 2025 anticipates revenue of $931 million to $968 million, reflecting a decrease of 0.9% to an increase of 3.1% year over year [22] Other Important Information - The company completed refinancing of its term loan structure, extending maturity to February 2030 [20] - Total debt outstanding was $1.36 billion, with a net leverage of 4.1 times [20] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you elaborate on the mix shift to corporate subscriptions and the demand perspective? - Management indicated a continued trend of building internal corporate marketing groups, which drives subscription growth [29] Question: Are the impacts from FX, tariff uncertainty, and LA fires resolved? - Management confirmed that while some impacts persist, they are largely baked into the guidance [32] Question: What is the expected acceleration in currency neutral guidance and data licensing revenue? - Management stated that data licensing revenue remains unchanged, with growth expected from new customers and geographic markets [42] Question: Can you provide an update on litigation regarding copyright protections against AI training? - Management explained ongoing litigation with Stability AI to clarify whether training on copyrighted material requires permission [46] Question: What is the current status of the company's Gen AI offering and client adoption? - Management reported consistent but slow adoption of Gen AI offerings, with revenue still in the single-digit millions [55]

Core Insights - Getty Images reported a revenue of $224.1 million for Q1 2025, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 0.8% and a currency neutral growth of 2.6% [5][6] - The company experienced a net loss of $102.6 million in Q1 2025, compared to a net income of $13.6 million in Q1 2024, primarily due to increased tax expenses and foreign exchange losses [6][31] - Annual subscription revenue grew to 57.2% of total revenue, up from 54.7% in Q1 2024, with a 5.4% increase in annual subscription revenue year-over-year [5][6] Financial Performance - Q1 2025 revenue breakdown: Creative revenue was $132.2 million (down 4.8% YoY), Editorial revenue was $82.6 million (up 4.0% YoY) [6][48] - Adjusted EBITDA for Q1 2025 was $70.1 million, slightly down 0.1% year-over-year, with an adjusted EBITDA margin of 31.3% [6][44] - Free cash flow for Q1 2025 was $(0.3) million, a decrease from $7.1 million in the prior year [6][47] Liquidity and Balance Sheet - As of March 31, 2025, the company had an ending cash balance of $114.6 million, down from $121.2 million at the end of 2024 [6][49] - Total debt stood at $1.36 billion, including $300 million in senior notes and a term loan balance of $1.06 billion [6][14] - The company has $150 million available through its undrawn Revolver, resulting in total available liquidity of $264.6 million [6][49] Business Highlights - The company signed new exclusive partnerships with WWE, Major League Soccer, and the National Women's Soccer League, and renewed partnerships with UEFA [15] - Getty Images is working towards a merger with Shutterstock, which is expected to close in the second half of 2025, pending regulatory approvals [17][19] Key Performance Indicators - Total purchasing customers decreased by 7.9% to 708,000, while active annual subscribers increased by 21.2% to 318,000 [7][8] - The annual subscriber revenue retention rate improved to 92.7%, up from 90.0% in the previous year [8] - The image collection grew to 582 million, and the video collection increased to 34 million, reflecting growth of 6.9% and 16.3% respectively [8]

Core Viewpoint - Getty Images Holdings, Inc. and Shutterstock, Inc. have received a Second Request from the U.S. Department of Justice regarding their proposed merger, which will extend the regulatory waiting period until compliance is achieved [2][3] Company Overview - Getty Images is a leading global visual content creator and marketplace, serving customers worldwide through its brands including Getty Images, iStock, and Unsplash [5][6] - The company collaborates with over 576,000 content creators and maintains a vast photographic archive, covering more than 160,000 events annually [6] - Getty Images is integrating generative AI technologies to enhance its content offerings, allowing customers to create visuals using text-to-image generation [7] Shutterstock Overview - Shutterstock is a premier partner for brands and digital media companies, offering a comprehensive platform for licensing a diverse collection of content, including 3D models, videos, and illustrations [9] - The company emphasizes product innovation and provides an all-in-one content editing platform and studio production services [9] Merger Details - The proposed merger is subject to regulatory clearance and stockholder approval, with expectations for completion in the second half of 2025 [4] - Both companies are committed to cooperating with the DOJ and other regulators to expedite the merger process [4]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - In Q4 2024, revenue grew to $247.3 million, representing a 9.5% increase or 8.5% on a currency-neutral basis [9][18] - For the full year 2024, revenue was $939.3 million, an increase of 2.5% on both reported and currency-neutral basis [10][18] - Adjusted EBITDA for Q4 was $80.6 million, up 11.7% year-over-year, with an adjusted EBITDA margin of 32.6%, an increase from 31.9% in Q4 2023 [28][29] - Full year adjusted EBITDA was $300.3 million, down 0.4% reported and 0.3% on a currency-neutral basis, with a margin of 32% compared to 32.9% in 2023 [29] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Annual subscription revenue accounted for 54.9% of total revenue in Q4, growing approximately 11% on both reported and currency-neutral basis [19] - Paid downloads decreased slightly to $93 million, while video attachment rate increased to 16.5% from 14.1% in Q4 2023 [21] - Editorial revenue was $90.1 million, up 19% year-on-year, driven by demand for editorial content during major events [22] - Creative revenue was $142.4 million, down 2.4% year-on-year, primarily due to a shift in consumption from creative to editorial content [23] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Americas region saw a revenue increase of 15.9% in Q4 on a currency-neutral basis, while APAC was up 0.4% and EMEA down just under 1% [18] - The company added 78,000 active annual subscribers, reaching a total of 314,000, with 54% being new customers [19] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The merger with Shutterstock is viewed as a transformational opportunity, aimed at creating a strong financial foundation and enhancing value for customers and shareholders [8] - The company continues to invest in core assets and evolve its offerings, including the launch of natural language search and AI capabilities [14][15] - Focus remains on delivering sustainable customer value and increasing margins and cash flow through the merger [15] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the company's future despite challenges such as the Los Angeles fires impacting operations [15] - The company anticipates revenue for 2025 to be between $918 million and $955 million, reflecting a slight decline to modest growth year-over-year [40] - Adjusted EBITDA for 2025 is expected to be between $272 million and $290 million, down 9.5% to 3.3% year-over-year [41] Other Important Information - Free cash flow for Q4 was $24.6 million, an increase from $18.6 million in Q4 2023, while full year free cash flow was $60.9 million, down from $75.7 million in 2023 [32] - The company finished 2024 with $121.2 million in cash and total debt outstanding of $1.3 billion, with a net leverage of 3.97 times, down from 4.2 times at year-end 2023 [33][34][35] Q&A Session Summary Question: Update on generative AI uptake and monetization - Management noted that AI service uptake is growing at a modest pace, primarily among existing customers using the technology to modify imagery [48][49] Question: Factors driving Q4 outperformance relative to guidance - The outperformance was attributed to strong top-line growth, favorable gross margin, and recovery in production post-strikes [51][53] Question: Outlook for 2025 revenue growth by segment and data licensing revenue - Management does not provide specific segment guidance but expects continued stabilization in Agency and growth in Corporate, with modest data licensing revenue [60][62]