Netflix, Shonda Rhimes Sign Multi-Year Deal as BRIDGERTON Expands

Netflix and Shonda Rhimes have extended their creative partnership as the BRIDGERTON universe continues to be one of Netflix's most beloved franchises, amassing 610M views since H1 2023 across its four seasons and the limited prequel series, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story.

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.

Quotes

Shonda Rhimes: 'I am excited to extend our relationship with Netflix. 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. I am so thankful to Ted, Bela and the entire Netflix team for their continued partnership, trust and enthusiasm. Let's GO!'

Bela Bajaria, Netflix Chief Content Officer: 'I am thrilled to extend our partnership with the incomparable Shonda Rhimes. Few creative partnerships have shown what's possible when a singular vision meets a global stage: stories that become genuine phenomena, shaping fashion, music and culture far beyond the screen. Nearly a decade in, this partnership keeps proving that Shonda's instincts aren't just brilliant storytelling — they're a blueprint for what a hit can become. We couldn't be prouder to remain the home where Shondaland continues to surprise and entertain audiences around the world.'

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.

About Shonda Rhimes

Shonda Rhimes is an award-winning television creator, producer and author, as well as the CEO of the global media company, Shondaland. She has produced shows such as Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, Scandal, How To Get Away with Murder, Bridgerton, Inventing Anna and The Residence. She is a NYC bestselling author for her memoir 'Year of Yes.' She is the recipient of a Peabody, has been appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire as well as inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame. She has shifted the entertainment industry's business model and changed the face of television.

About Shondaland

Shondaland is the global media company founded by award-winning writer and producer Shonda Rhimes. The company entertains through storytelling with content for film, streaming, audio, digital and editorial as well as brand partnerships, merchandise and experiences. Shondaland has an exclusive partnership with Netflix where it produces streaming content for the media company, including record-breaking series 'Bridgerton' and its spinoff series 'Queen Charlotte,' 'Inventing Anna,' 'Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker,' the Emmy-winning documentary 'Black Barbie,' 'The Residence' and the upcoming Untitled Grey's Anatomy Spinoff. In 2017, Shondaland launched the editorial website Shondaland.com followed by the creation of Shondaland Audio in 2019. Shondaland was launched in 2005 with the series 'Grey's Anatomy.'

About Netflix

Netflix is one of the world's leading entertainment services offering TV series, films, games and live programming across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can play, pause and resume watching as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, and can change their plans at any time.

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