'Scandal' Producer Shonda Rhimes Is Leaving ABC--Heading To Netflix

Major things have been happening in the streaming world and our girl Shonda Rhimes, CEO of Shondaland productions, is leading the way. 

In case you don’t know Shondaland is responsible for the #TGIT madness, which includes the addictive 'Scandal', 'How To Get Away With Murder' and 'Grey’s Anatomy' trio. Shonda has been with ABC studios for 15 years and her studio deal was set to end in June 2018, but it seems things have moved quicker than anticipated most likely due to the Disney vs. Netflix battle.

Most don’t know that ABC is a Disney owned company and in the last year it has felt the heat of Netflix and other streaming sources. Friendly competition got real y'all as Disney is set to pull all of its content from Netflix by 2019 and transfer it to the new Disney video streaming service. 

Rhimes is known for creating series that showcase powerful and confident Black women leads, something that was unheard of before Shonda made it pop. Earning $10 million a year with ABC, many questioned why Shonda would move to Netflix, which has a limited viewer audience compared to the nationwide reach of  ABC. According to The Atlantic, not only is Netflix offering Rhimes a blank check, but also the opportunity to escape the pressures of writing and producing so many shows. Sure, burnout is a real thing, but for a go getter like Shonda there might be other motives behind her move. Considering her innovative track record Rhimes’ move might signal a shift in the entire television game. Let’s be real Shonda ain’t new to this...she true to this so, for her to make such a huge move it’s safe to say it’s not because she’s tired. 

Shonda told Recode Decode “I love the creative freedom that’s available there” speaking of Netflix. She is set to take Shondaland and thirty of her colleagues in her move, but #TGIT will continue to air on ABC. We cannot wait to see what Shonda is cooking up next. #GoGirl