Shonda Rhimes, Netflix, Bridgerton
Shonda Rhimes is the founder of Shondaland, the production company behind hit series Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, and How to Get Away with Murder. She became the first woman to create three television dramas that each surpassed 100 episodes. In 2017, Rhimes moved from network television to streaming, making a landmark deal with Netflix, said to be worth more than $100 million, and was inducted in Television Academy hall of fame She has built an estimated net worth of $250 million through her successful TV empire, production company and strategic business ventures: Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
by Selena Hill

August 28, 2026

Shonda Rhimes Secures New Five-Year Deal With Netflix

The new agreement keeps Shondaland at Netflix while extending the business relationship beyond television into film, gaming, merchandise, and live experiences.

Shonda Rhimes is expanding her entertainment empire at Netflix.

The television powerhouse, her Shondaland production company, and longtime producing partner Betsy Beers have renewed their overall deal with the streaming giant for another five years, extending a partnership that began in 2017. The agreement keeps Netflix as the exclusive home for Shondaland’s television and film projects while continuing opportunities in gaming, merchandise, and live events connected to the company’s intellectual property, reports TheWrap. The deal’s financial terms were not disclosed.

“I am excited to extend our relationship with Netflix,” Rhimes said in a statement. “For almost a decade, Netflix has provided Shondaland with the autonomy and support to tell our kind of stories—stories that both entertain and reflect diversity and humanity in a way that resonates with audiences around the world.”

Since moving to Netflix, Rhimes has helped build Bridgerton into one of the streamer’s most popular global franchises. The series has expanded beyond traditional television into consumer products and live experiences, demonstrating the business value of owning and developing entertainment properties that can travel across multiple revenue streams.

Netflix Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria said Rhimes’ work demonstrates how a strong creative vision can become a much larger cultural and commercial enterprise.

“Few creative partnerships have shown what’s possible when a singular vision meets a global stage,” Bajaria said, according to Variety Australia. “Shonda’s instincts aren’t just brilliant storytelling—they’re a blueprint for what a hit can become.”

The Bridgerton franchise remains a major asset in that equation. Netflix recently confirmed that Season 5 is in production and scheduled for 2027, while the series has also been renewed for a sixth season.

Shondaland’s Netflix portfolio also includes Inventing Anna, The Residence, the Emmy-winning documentary Black Barbie, and Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker. The renewed deal will also continue Netflix’s support for Shondaland’s Ladder Program, which helps train and create opportunities for underrepresented talent working in production.

“I am so thankful to Ted, Bela, and the entire Netflix team for their continued partnership, trust, and enthusiasm,” Rhimes said. “Let’s GO!”

Nearly a decade after bringing Shondaland to Netflix, Rhimes is proving that the real power move in entertainment is not to simply create a hit show. It is building an ecosystem around the stories, talent, and intellectual property that keep the business growing long after the credits roll.

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