Netflix signs Shonda Rhimes in counterpunch to ABC and Disney

In a huge blow to ABC and Disney, the prolific television hitmaker Shonda Rhimes has signed an exclusive overall deal with Netflix.

Rhimes, the creator of shows like Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, and How To Get Away With Murder— all hits for ABC — will bring Shondaland over to Netflix in what the streaming service said was a multiyear deal.Those series and ones currently in development will remain on ABC, though Netflix already has the streaming rights for the back library for shows like Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal.

Netflix’s move amounts to a major counterpunch to Disney’s announcement last week that it was starting a pair of its own streaming services, including one that would force the removal of several Disney and Pixar movies from Netflix in the next two years.

Netflix’s chief content officer, Ted Sarandos, said in a statement, “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.”

Rhimes said in her own statement, “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. 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 home for writers with the unique creative freedom and instantaneous global reach provided by Netflix’s singular sense of innovation. The future of Shondaland at Netflix has limitless possibilities.”

Rhimes has been with ABC for more than a decade and has long been one of the biggest names at the network. She has been a reliable generator of hits, including building an entire Thursday night lineup that ABC’s marketing department has dubbed TGIT.

Though it has been a ratings force, ABC’s Thursday night lineup has showed some signs of wear and tear recently. Grey’s Anatomy, which will begin season 14 in September, remains a big hit with sturdy ratings, but both Scandal and How to Get Away With Murderhave seen their ratings nose-dive in the last two years.