According to Jupitermedia CEO Alan Meckler, there is a strong possibility that Jupiterimages will enter the celebrity imagery space. Though Meckler is still unsure of any specifics, he promises the new offering will be original if it launches.
In addition, there has been speculation about the possibility of a similar move by the Associated Press. AP may soon be devoting additional funds to entertainment and sports imagery. Today, AP announced new sports-image products for 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, and it may soon be devoting more funds to the broader entertainment and sports categories. Summer Games, the new AP service, will enhance AP's text wires with photos and multimedia through AP's hosted Web platform, which currently services 750 news organizations.
If AP and Jupiter expand into the celebrity space, it's another blow for the already-ailing Getty Images. Editorial imagery-including celebrity, entertainment and sports-has been the one stable still-image segment of the industry leader's business, particularly since its recent acquisition of WireImage. Established players, such as Jupiterimages and AP, would certainly compete with Getty for market share.
This would be exacerbated by several high-profile departures from Getty Images. These include Jeff Kravitz, president and founder of Filmmagic, a Getty subsidiary resulting from the MediaVast acquisition, and photographers Evan Agostini and Peter Kramer. The three have yet to disclose their future plans.