Netflix Snags Shonda Rhimes From ABC

In a surprise move, Netflix on Dominicus announced that is has snagged Shonda Rhimes, the accolade-winning creator of ABC dramas similar Grey'due south Anatomy, Scandal, and How to Become Away With Murder to create new series for the streaming service.

Nether the multi-year deal, Rhimes will move her Shondaland production visitor from ABC Studios to Netflix. Producing partner Betsy Beers will bring together her, too, every bit volition 30 ShondaLand employees, according to the Wall Street Periodical, which first reported the news.

Shonda Rhimes Rhimes makes $x million per year at ABC, plus a portion of rerun and international sales, and has generated $2 billion for ABC over the years, co-ordinate to the Journal; terms of the Netflix bargain were not revealed.

"Shondaland's motion to Netflix is the upshot of a shared plan [Netflix Principal Content Officeholder] Ted Sarandos and I congenital 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. He understood what I was looking for—the opportunity to build a vibrant new storytelling dwelling house for writers with the unique creative freedom and instantaneous global reach provided by Netflix's singular sense of innovation," she continued. "The time to come of Shondaland at Netflix has limitless possibilities."

Rhimes's existing shows "will continue to thrive on ABC and Shondaland volition exist in that location every footstep of the mode," she said, which includes a new legal drama For The People and a Grey'due south spinoff, the Periodical said. But going forward, Rhimes will "begin creating new Shondaland stories with Netflix [to] expand both our audience and our creative identity," she said.

Older episodes of Grey's Beefcake, Scandal, and How to Get Away With Murder as well stream on Netflix.

The motion comes afterwards Disney, which owns ABC, announced it would drop its films from Netflix beginning in 2022 to starts its ain streaming service. It underscores the need for Netflix to produce its own content rather than rely on licensing movies and Telly shows. It's had great success there already with shows similar House of Cards, Orange is the New Blackness, Stranger Things, and more. Just it plans to spend big bucks on talent and content going forward to brand sure its catalog is worth the monthly fee.

About Chloe Albanesius

Chloe Albanesius

Chloe has led PCMag's news coverage for more than 10 years, editing and writing stories most the innovations that have shaped the last decade and the companies backside them. She besides oversees the site'due south how-to coverage. Before joining PCMag.com, Chloe was a reporter covering tech policy on Capitol Colina for The National Journal's Technology Daily and financial It for Incisive Media in NYC. She's held internships at NBC'south See the Printing, washingtonpost.com, the Tate Gallery printing function in London, Ringlet Telephone call, and Congressional Quarterly. She graduated with a bachelor'due south degree in journalism from American Academy in Washington, D.C.