Netflix’s Next Act: Becoming CBS

Ryan Murphy and Ted Sarandos at "The Politician" Season One Premiere
(Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Netflix)
Matthew Belloni
June 24, 2021

An email arrived from a veteran TV producer: “Which deal do you think Netflix regrets more, Ryan or Shonda?” It’s a question I hear a lot, as I suspect you do, though maybe not phrased as cynically. Ryan Murphy vs. Shonda Rhimes is one of those industry fascinations born from the lack of transparency in Netflix ratings and the fact that both TV producers were lured from longtime homes at Fox and ABC, respectively, with nine-figure deals that were breathlessly reported by the media. Murphy’s team first suggested to The New York Times that his deal was worth as much as $300 million, which annoyed Shonda, whose arrangement was reported as $150 million but whose reps were quick to note can actually earn her far more in success, which led to Murphy doubling-down in subsequent interviews. Ah, Hollywood people.