Shonda Rhimes spent 15 years at ABC. She gave us TV series like Grey's Anatomy, Scandal, Private Practice, How to Get Away with Murder and more. So, what was the final straw that pushed her to leavfe ABC for Netflix?
She was in an ongoing negotiation with ABC over compensation and multi year deals when she attempted to reach out for an additional Disney all-inclusive pass for her sister to go to Disneyland with Shonda's kids. The pass was a perk allotted to her through her ABC deal.
When her family arrived at the park (Shonda was not in attendance because she was working) one of the passes did not work, denying them entry. Shonda called a high ranking executive to assist with the issue and the person responded, don't you have enough? She thanked him for his time. It was his response, not the pass, that
prompted her exit to Netflix.
Shonda produced 70 hours of annual TV for ABC shown in 256 territories. She helped Disney make more than $2 billion dollars. She signed a deal with Netflix for $300 million. Her move prompted producers like Ryan Murphy (Pose, American Horror Story) to also sign lucrative deals with Netflix. [Essence]
PS. Don't worry, Grey's is not leaving ABC.