Netflix’s new catch: Shonda Rhimes
Netflix has been busy competing with TV networks and other on-demand providers by partnering up with some big names lately. Perhaps the most exciting of them is TV mastermind Shonda Rhimes, producer of hits Scandal and How to Get Away with Murder.
Rhimes will continue working on her current series, at least until her contract with ABC ends in June 2018. The multiple-year deal with Netflix will end her longstanding partnership with ABC that gave birth to these titles, as well as the love-child that is Grey’s Anatomy. With Netflix, Rhimes will be producing new series and be given creative freedoms not possible in broadcast TV.
Rhimes and ABC seem to be parting on good terms, though. Producer Betsy Beers, who is joining Rhimes in her move to Netflix, had only gratitude to express for ABC’s support. Likewise, ABC has issued statements thanking Rhimes for her work, according to Variety.
ABC Entertainment President Channing Dungey expressed, “I’m proud to have given a home to what have become some of the most celebrated and talked-about shows on television.”
To boil Dungey’s appreciation of Rhimes’s work down to this sentiment alone would be a major understatement. TGIF, ABC’s family-friendly Friday-night programming, was pretty cool back in the day (if only for Salem, the sarcastic animatronic cat). In 2014, ABC began TGIT, its primetime lineup on Thursdays consisting entirely of Rhimes dramas. ABC will continue to run TGIT and another Rhimes series, For the People, is expected midseason. It’s clear Rhimes was quite The Catch – ABC was more than fortunate to have her on board.
ABC Contract and Timeline
ABC retained Grey's Anatomy, Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder, and For the People (aired 2018-2019). Station 19 (Grey's spinoff) ran until 2024; new Grey's spinoff ordered May 2026. Rhimes' ABC creative involvement concluded with the move; TGIT continued without new Rhimes series.
Parting Terms and Statements
ABC statements and Beers gratitude aligned with amicable transition. ABC benefited from continued runs of legacy shows; Netflix gained exclusive new productions.
Shondaland Netflix Output and Major Hits
Bridgerton became Netflix's most-watched series debut ever with multiple seasons ordered. Additional titles: Inventing Anna (2022), Queen Charlotte (2023), The Residence (2025). Expansion into films and other formats via 2021 deal update.
Deal Expansions and Evolving Partnership
2021 extension with raise and inclusion of features, gaming, VR, live events, merchandising. Deal value estimates rose substantially post-Bridgerton success. Exclusive Netflix partnership remains active as of 2026.
Rhimes' Broader Shondaland Ventures
Shondaland digital platform and content extensions active in 2026. Year of Yes 10th anniversary edition released recently. Ongoing executive production and company leadership role.
Legacy at ABC and Transition Aftermath
ABC continued TGIT initially and aired For the People (2018-2019) and Station 19 (ended 2024). Grey's Anatomy ongoing with new spinoff ordered in 2026 for 2027. All new Rhimes-created content moved exclusively to Netflix post-transition.
The 2017 move marked a turning point for both Rhimes and the streaming landscape. Shondaland productions that followed proved the bet paid off in scale and reach. Netflix gained a pipeline of prestige series that drew global audiences, while ABC kept its long-running titles intact. The partnership continues to shape what viewers expect from both platforms, with Rhimes still at the center of the conversation.
