Shonda Rhimes is now with Netflix, concluding her 15-year run with ABC Studios but continuing to be involved in her long-running hit shows "Grey's Anatomy" and "Scandal," Variety reported on Sunday.
Her Shondaland operations will remain at Hollywood's Sunset Grower Studios for now, which is where "Scandal" and "How to Get Away With Murder" are produced. Rhimes' executive producer, Betsy Beers, is moving to Netflix as well, Variety noted.
Variety said Rhimes' reported multi-year deal signals an escalation in the television production "arms race" between streaming services and television networks with Amazon recently signing "The Walking Dead" creator Robert Kirkman.
"Shonda Rhimes is one of the greatest storytellers in the history of television," said Ted Sarandos, chief content officer at Netflix. "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 Wall Street Journal pointed out that Netflix's announcement of reeling in ABC's biggest hit maker comes just days after Disney – ABC's parent company – announced that it was not renewing its streaming deal with Netflix because it plans to start its own streaming service.
"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, per Netflix.
"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."
Variety said Disney chief executive Bob Iger has downplayed a possible rivalry between the two companies, pointing to other contracts still in place between them.