For many New Yorkers, the Public Library’s free movie streaming service has been one of the city’s best kept secrets. That will no longer be the case starting next week. It has been confirmed that the iconic New York library is shutting down the service since its partnership with Kanopy, a multimedia streaming service, has ended.
The New York Public Library had inked a deal with Kanopy back in 2017 which enabled any library cardholder to use the streaming service at no additional charge. This perk provided library cardholders with access to more than 30,000 movies which included recent hits such as Lady Bird and Moonlight.
Kanopy’s content library also includes some harder to find movies, including documentaries and independent films, that aren’t necessarily available on other streaming platforms. The service may have been free for users but it was the library that was paying for their access. Kanopy charges libraries a license fee of almost $150 for each title when it racks up at least three viewings. That obviously eats into the library’s budget which is why the New York library has made this decision. A similar decision has also been made by the Brooklyn Public Library and the Queens Public Library.
“We believe the cost of Kanopy makes it unsustainable for the Library, and that our resources are better utilized purchasing more in-demand collections such as books and e-books,” the New York Public Library said in a statement.