Reuters replaces Getty as the exclusive licensing partner for ITN’s vast news archive. AI-powered search and richer metadata promise faster, more reliable access for publishers and creators.
Reuters has secured exclusive rights to license ITN’s archive, a collection spanning 70 years of broadcast news footage. The move ends Getty’s tenure and signals a major shift in how publishers, filmmakers, and digital platforms can find and use historic video.
Reuters has committed to digitizing an additional 12,000 hours of previously undigitized ITN material as part of the new partnership.
For content teams, the change is immediate. The entire ITN archive will now be available exclusively through Reuters Connect, the company’s global content marketplace. Reuters Connect already hosts Reuters’ own news output and material from over 100 partners. Adding ITN’s deep historical library-now searchable with AI-raises the bar for anyone competing in factual video.
The deal also includes a pledge to digitize another 10,000 hours of ITN film, expanding the digital reach of a collection long relied on by documentary makers, newsrooms, and streaming services looking for verified historical footage.
Reuters Connect is positioned as a global marketplace that already brings together Reuters' own news content and material from more than 100 partner organizations. The addition of the ITN archive significantly strengthens the platform's historical video segment.
ITN’s leadership describes the move as a response to two pressures: the growing use of AI in media and the rising threat of misinformation. Tim Forrest, ITN’s head of content delivery and commercial innovation, said the partnership was shaped by both opportunity and risk, and that Reuters’ technology would make the archive more accessible without sacrificing trust.
Getty, which had held exclusive rights to the ITN archive since 2016 and renewed its deal in 2022, is now out. The timing stands out: ITN has recently tried new ways to monetize its archive, including paid subscriptions for its Frontline by ITN YouTube channel and a blockchain-based deal with Open Origins to embed proof of authenticity in its footage. These moves reflect a wider industry effort to protect and commercialize archives as digital copying and synthetic media become more common.
For publishers and content creators, the impact is practical. Better metadata and AI search mean less time spent looking for the right shot and more confidence in the authenticity of what’s licensed. The change also makes Reuters Connect an even more important hub for anyone sourcing historical news video at scale.
As competition in news footage distribution heats up, the Reuters-ITN deal is a direct challenge to rivals still using older search and manual curation. The move echoes other recent industry changes, such as the Associated Press shifting US video production jobs to India, as reported earlier, showing how technology and cost pressures are reshaping global media operations.
Reuters’ approach is clear: use AI as a practical tool to unlock the value of archival content. By digitizing more footage and adding detailed metadata, Reuters aims to become the go-to source for verified historical video. For ITN, the deal offers a way to expand its archive’s reach and protect its assets from obsolescence and digital fraud. In a market where trust, speed, and discoverability matter most, this partnership is about controlling access to authenticated history in the age of algorithmic media.
ITN, founded in 1955, is a mainstay of UK broadcast journalism, producing news for ITV, Channel 4, and Channel 5, as well as over 1,000 hours of factual programming each year through ITN Productions. Its archive, now over one million video clips, is considered one of the most comprehensive visual records of modern British and global events. The company’s recent use of blockchain for content authentication and its move into subscription models reflect a broader trend toward new revenue streams and digital rights management.
