Shonda Rhimes Signs Exclusive Deal With Netflix

Shonda Rhimes, the mastermind behind such hits as Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal, has signed an exclusive deal with Netflix, ending a 15-year relationship with ABC Studios.

SHONDA RHIMES SIGNS ON WITH NETFLIX

Rhimes will bring her company, Shondaland, along with her, and will begin producing a new series for the streaming service. She will continue to be involved with her current broadcast series as well. Executive producer Betsy Beers will also make the move to Netflix.

“Shonda Rhimes is one of the greatest storytellers in the history of television,” said Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos in a statement. “Her work is gripping, inventive, pulse-pounding, heart-stopping, taboo-breaking television at its best. I’ve gotten the chance to know Shonda and she’s a true Netflixer at heart — she loves TV and films, she cares passionately about her work, and she delivers for her audience. We’re so excited to welcome her to Netflix.”

The move reflects Netflix’s initiative to create original programming to compete with network television. It also ramps up the competition between Netflix and other streaming options, such as Amazon Prime and Hulu. Just last week, Amazon signed on Robert Kirkman, creator of AMC’s The Walking Dead, to create content.

Netflix also recently partnered with the Coen brothers on a six-part series called The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. They’ve also recently acquired the rights to Millarworld’s roster of comics, which have yielded films like Kickass and Kingsman in the past.

Reports say that Netflix will pay Rhimes $10 million a year to create the next generation of hit shows. Shondaland hit shows such as Grey’s, Scandal, and How to Get Away with Murder all appear on Netflix after a season airs live. “Shondaland’s move to Netflix is the result of a shared plan Ted Sarandos and I built based on my vision for myself as a storyteller and for the evolution of my company,” Rhimes said in a statement. “Ted provides a clear, fearless space for creators at Netflix.”