Alamy has been acquired by
PA Media Group a UK-based news and information business.
Founded 20 years ago, Alamy has one of the world’s most diverse creative and editorial stock imagery collections, comprising almost 200 million photographs, vectors and 360-degree panoramic images sourced from a network of over 100,000 photographers and 650 picture agencies and archives. . The business has close to 100,000 customers in more than 150 countries, working across a range of sectors including publishing, design, advertising and broadcast.
In 2018, the latest reporting year that figures are available about 34.5% of their sales were in the UK, 18.7% in Europe and 46.8% in the Rest of the World. A significant portion of the ROTW sales, and probably about the same percentage as the UK, were made in North America.
The acquisition sees the PA Media Group enter the stock imagery market for the first time. It also supports the Group’s long-term strategy to diversify its business and consolidate its position as the UK’s leading provider of cross-platform news, sport and entertainment data, content and services.
Alamy will complement PA Media Group’s editorial picture syndication business, PA Images, whose archive charts more than 100 years of British history, along with royal, entertainment, sport and news photography.
Clive Marshall, Chief Executive of PA Media Group said:
“This transformational acquisition will significantly increase our customer base and provide the PA Media Group with a strong presence in the international market for the first time.
“Alamy has created a fantastic ecosystem of content creators and content users around a superior e-commerce platform. The acquisition adds real scale and diversity to PA Media Group’s photo services. As a result, customers will have access to a wider, richer image portfolio which combines great editorial and stock imagery, accessible through a global platform.
“In addition, this acquisition will further strengthen the financial performance of the company and help secure the future of our core news agency business.”
James West, co-founder of Alamy, said:
“PA Media Group is a natural home for Alamy. As well as having one of the UK’s most comprehensive photo archives, PA shares our ethos of integrity and quality, and has an excellent reputation built over 150 years.
“Alamy can look forward to a fantastic future as part of the PA Media Group.”