Ryan Murphy Leaving Fox for Netflix Despite Iger’s Efforts

Despite Bob Iger’s efforts to keep him in the Fox/Disney fold, mega-producer Ryan Murphy is moving to Netflix on July 1 with an exclusive deal. He will produce new series and films for the streaming service while he will remain involved in the existing shows that already air on Fox and FX.

“Ryan Murphy’s series have influenced the global cultural zeitgeist, reinvented genres and changed the course of television history. His unfaltering dedication to excellence and to give voice to the underrepresented, to showcase a unique perspective or just to shock the hell out of us, permeates his genre-shattering work,” said Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer at Netflix. From ‘Nip/Tuck’ – our first licensed series – to ‘American Crime Story:  The People v. O.J. Simpson’ and ‘American Horror Story,’ we’ve seen how his brand of storytelling captivates consumers and critics across the globe. His celebrated body of work and his contributions to our industry speak for themselves, and we look forward to supporting Ryan in bringing his broad and diverse stories to the world.”

The Murphy deal comes after Netflix lured Shonda Rhimes from ABC with a similar production deal. Disney is hoping the 21st Century Fox acquisition will allow them to transition Hulu to a general entertainment service with high-quality films and series while also launching ESPN and Disney branded services that caters to sports fans and families respectively.