^ "Kanopy, the On-Demand Streaming Video Service Free for Public Library Members, Adds Children's Content with Launch of Kanopy Kids" (Press release).Kanopy can be viewed on a computer, mobile device, or television via a web browser supporting HTML5 video or the Kanopy app for Amazon Fire Tablet and Fire Stick, Android, Apple iOS, and Roku. On July 1, 2019, three of the largest public libraries in the United States-the New York Public Library, the Brooklyn Public Library, and the Queens Public Library-discontinued Kanopy, citing unpredictable and unsustainable costs. Librarians have access to an administrative dashboard which allows them to view user analytics and adjust budgets. Costs vary per institutional contract, but have been estimated in 2019 for single titles to be $150 for one year, $350 for a three-year license.
This model used by libraries is referred to as "patron-driven acquisition" where each view (watching a video for 30 seconds or more) will prompt the sale of a license fee for that title. Institutions pay for the films their students and faculty watch on a per-view basis. Public library patrons, and university students and faculty are able to watch Kanopy free-of-charge with their institution's library card. The service includes features such as captions, transcripts, clip creation, and playlist creation that allow users to share videos. Kanopy provides each participating public library and university with a dedicated and customizable website through which members can stream films. On June 9, 2021, Overdrive announced that it had reached a deal to acquire Kanopy. In October 2019, Kevin Sayar succeeded Humphrey as CEO. After attaining considerable success in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore, it expanded into the UK and US, and soon afterwards moved its headquarters to San Francisco, with Humphrey remaining as CEO. Until 2010, the company functioned only as a DVD distributor, moving into streaming in that year. Kanopy was founded in 2008 at Scarborough, Western Australia, by Olivia Humphrey, an Australian entrepreneur, as an educational tool for universities.