Film industry veteran to guide Kanopy’s strategic growth as an OverDrive company

 

 

SAN FRANCISCO – October 27, 2021 – Kanopy, the company dedicated to providing access to high-quality films that inspire, entertain, and educate, today announced that Kanopy’s Vice President of Content, Jason Tyrrell, will take the helm as the company’s General Manager. Tyrrell’s promotion commences as Kanopy prepares for rapid growth in light of its acquisition by OverDrive in July 2021. Former Kanopy CEO Kevin Sayar will remain with the company as an advisor through the end of the year.

“Jason is the right leader for the next phase of Kanopy’s evolution,” said Sayar. “I’m confident that his extensive experience in the film industry, and his commitment to creating value for libraries and content partners, will provide Kanopy users with the best streaming experience for both education and thought provoking entertainment.”

“Kanopy is an exciting new addition to the OverDrive suite of products, and we know our library partners will appreciate having our ebooks and audiobooks discoverable and accessible alongside their world-class selection of films, many of which are unique to Kanopy,” said OverDrive CEO Steve Potash. “We welcome Jason in his new position and know that he will be critical to driving our future growth and strategy in both the academic and public library markets.”

Prior to Kanopy, Tyrrell spent the past 15 years leading content acquisitions, licensing, and business development teams at independent distribution companies, global content aggregators, and emerging direct to consumer platforms. In addition to his expanding role at Kanopy, Tyrrell serves as a board member for Video Trust, an organization that strengthens libraries through education and advocating for the critical understanding and appreciation of film.

“I’m honored to be appointed General Manager of Kanopy and look forward to this next chapter with OverDrive, who shares our mission of democratizing access to content for all,” said Tyrrell. “Kanopy has built an unparalleled catalog over the past decade. As we continue to reach millions more patrons and students through thousands of institutions worldwide, we will meaningfully invest in film and television as a critical tool of lifelong learning. In this next chapter, we will focus even more deeply on sustainability, both for the creators and distributors who rely on us, and the library institutions who generously provide Kanopy as a cornerstone resource within their communities.”

 

 

About Kanopy

Kanopy partners with libraries and filmmakers around the globe to give patrons, students, and faculty free access to high-quality films that stimulate imagination, promote learning and spark meaningful conversations. Many of the titles found on Kanopy, including iconic films produced by Neon, Lionsgate, A24, Criterion Collection, Paramount, PBS, and Kino Lorber, are unavailable elsewhere in the library market. Kanopy is used by millions of students and library patrons and is available on all major web, mobile, and TV platforms. Kanopy was acquired by OverDrive in 2021.  www.kanopy.com

About OverDrive

OverDrive strives to create “a world enlightened by reading.” Serving a growing network of 73,000 libraries and schools in 88 countries, OverDrive delivers the industry’s largest digital catalog of ebooks, audiobooks, magazines and other content through award-winning apps. The Libby reading app for libraries is one of Popular Mechanics’ 20 Best Apps of the Decade, the Sora student reading app is one of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2019, and Kanopy is the leading video streaming app for libraries and colleges. Founded in 1986, OverDrive is based in Cleveland, Ohio USA and was named a Certified B Corp in 2017. www.overdrive.com

 

Contact:

Marty Mullarkey

marty.mullarkey@kanopy.com

 

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