Netflix wins 'Scandal' creator Rhimes in blow to Disney, ABC

NEW YORK (AP) — Netflix has lured Shonda Rhimes, the well-regarded creator of TV series "Scandal" and "Grey's Anatomy," from ABC — announcing its scoop just days after ABC owner Disney laid out plans to pull programming from Netflix.

Netflix said Rhimes' Shondaland production company is moving to Netflix for a multi-year deal. New ideas and projects from Rhimes and her producing partner, Betsy Beers, will be available on the streaming service.

But her existing, wellknown shows — "Grey's Anatomy," ''Scandal" and "How to Get Away With Murder" — will remain on the network. Upcoming Shondaland projects already in the works, like the drama "For the People" and a "Grey's" spinoff, will also still stay with ABC. Rhimes has had exclusive deals with ABC Studios for nearly 15 years.

ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey said "fans can rest assured" that the network's Thursday night lineup of Rhimes-produced shows "remains intact and will be as buzzed about as ever." Rhimes' shows have been among ABC's top-rated series.

The announcement late Sunday came just days after Disney said it was creating a new streaming service of its own for kids and launching an online-subscription version of ESPN.

ABC ended the traditional TV season in May at the No. 3 slot among the big broadcasters and down 9 percent in the ratings, according to Nielsen. It's rebooting "Roseanne" and "American Idol" in the 2017-18 season and bringing back popular comedies "black-ish" and "Modern Family."

Netflix continues to invest in more original programming to win those eyeballs. It's not competing with just cable anymore. Traditional TV companies have launched or are planning a slew of streaming services, and tech companies like Amazon and Google's YouTube have as well. In the past few weeks, Netflix has signed up David Letterman and bought a comic book publisher to turn its characters into movies and shows.

Rhimes wrote in a statement that she was grateful to ABC for giving her career a start, but she was looking forward to expanding her audience and "creative identity" with Netflix.

Rhimes, 47, has been nominated for three Emmy Awards, all for her work on "Grey's Anatomy." The long-running series begins its 14th season next month. "Scandal" will return for its seventh and final season in October.