Shonda Rhimes has extended her creative partnership with Netflix.
Under the new multi-year overall deal, the creative partnership extends with Rhimes, her company Shondaland, and her long standing producing partner Betsy Beers. The extended partnership will give Netflix and Shondaland the opportunity to continue to exclusively produce, stream and distribute TV series, feature films and gaming while continuing merchandise and live events opportunities connected to its IP.
Netflix will also continue to support Shondaland’s inclusion initiatives, such as the Ladder Program, to help train underrepresented below the line creatives.
Since its 2020 debut, Netflix and Shondaland’s Bridgerton has captivated global audiences, establishing itself as a cultural powerhouse. The franchise’s momentum continues with Season 5, currently in production in London, which shifts the spotlight to the introverted Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd) and Michaela Stirling (Masali Baduza). This follows the massive success of Season 4, which premiered at #1 on the Global English TV list and reached the Top 10 in 92 countries. The series’ enduring popularity is evident as Seasons 1 and 3 remain staples on the Most Popular list—ranking #7 and #10, respectively—while the acclaimed prequel, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, similarly dominated the Global Top 10. By catering to an underserved romance audience, Bridgerton has ignited global trends across memes, music, books, fashion, décor and more. This influence extends beyond the screen through immersive live experiences—including the Queen’s Ball: A Bridgerton Experience, Bridgerton Concerts by Candlelight series and Netflix House locations in Philadelphia and Dallas—and a robust collection of consumer products, cementing its status as a premier global lifestyle brand.
The return of Bridgerton Season 4 delivered a staggering 100 million views, nearly tripling viewing of every earlier season of the beloved franchise (including Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story), when compared to the second half of 2025. Together, the entire Bridgerton franchise brought 180M views in the first half of this year.
Inventing Anna, created by Shonda Rhimes and executive produced by Rhimes and Betsy Beers, became a global phenomenon and one of Netflix’s biggest shows of 2022 — ranking #4 on the Most Popular list, spent 10 consecutive weeks in the Global Top 10 English TV List and hit #1 in over 90 countries tracked.
Additional Shondaland projects with Netflix include the Emmy-nominated The Residence, the screwball murder-mystery starring Uzo Aduba that premiered globally in March 2025, the Emmy-winning documentary Black Barbie which celebrates the momentous impact three Black women at Mattel had on the evolution of the Barbie brand, telling the story of how the first Black Barbie came to be, and Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker, Shondaland’s documentary chronicling legendary choreographer and director Debbie Allen, which premiered on Netflix in November 2020.
