The race for talent among the big three streamers is a clear sign of a larger overall push for ownership in TV. After making deals with networks and the major studios alike to license a library of scripted films and series, Netflix, Amazon and Hulu began buying from pretty much everyone as they stocked up on originals. But that strategy has started to shift as deep-pocketed Netflix and Amazon are making a clear push to own their scripted fare, while Hulu remains focused on buying both from studios — including Sony, Warner Bros. and Universal — and from indies like The Handmaid’s Tale producer MGM. Here’s a look at how the ownership pie breaks down at all three services.
The streaming giant signed prolific showrunner Shonda Rhimes (Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal) to a sizable overall deal in its most telling push for ownership yet. Content chief Ted Sarandos said in September that Netflix Studios is now producing 75 percent of the company’s new projects.
Roy Price’s Amazon Studios also is locking up talent, landing The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman from AMC as well as Gilmore Girls creator Amy Sherman-Palladino, among others, as the retail giant/streamer searches for an all-audience hit.
A joint venture of Disney, Fox, Comcast and Time Warner, the platform has put a larger emphasis on spreading the wealth to its parent companies and establishing itself as a home for originals beyond library titles before it focuses on ownership.
This story first appeared in the Oct. 4 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.
