Ryan Murphy lured to Netflix in 'historic' television deal: 'This moment is not lost on me'

The move will see him craft new shows and film exclusively for the streaming service

(Getty Images)

Television heavyweight Ryan Murphy is heading to Netflix in one of the biggest small screen deals of all time.

The Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning showrunner, producer, director and writer has signed a five-year deal with the streaming service reportedly worth $300m in what is being deemed a “hit for the traditional TV business.”

Set to take effect this July, the groundbreaking deal will see his production company - Ryan Murphy Productions - shift from 20th Century Fox TV to craft new TV shows and film exclusively for Netflix.

Murphy's existing shows including American Horror Story, American Crime Story and procedural drama 9-1-1 will continue to air on FOX.

Netflix's Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos said: “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.“

The streaming service had been sniffing around Murphy for some time after winning a bidding war for the producer's forthcoming projects The Politician and Ratched, an origin based on the One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest character, Nurse Ratched, set to star Sarah Paulson.

“The history of this moment is not lost on me,” Murphy said following the announcement. “I am a gay kid from Indiana who moved to Hollywood in 1989 with $55 dollars in savings in my pocket, so the fact that my dreams have crystallised and come true in such a major way is emotional and overwhelming to me.

“I am awash in genuine appreciation for Ted Sarandos, Reed Hastings and Cindy Holland at Netflix for believing in me and the future of my company which will continue to champion women, minorities and LGBTQ heroes and heroines, and I am honoured and grateful to continue my partnership with my friends and peers at Fox on our existing shows.”

Fox, who recently inked a new partnership with Disney, had nothing but kind words for their regular collaborator, with Fox TV Group Chairman Dana Walden stating: “I wish Ryan well, and I know everyone at our company feels the same. We are lucky to have so many projects with him.”

Murphy follows in the footsteps of Shonda Rhimes - creator of the long-running medical drama Grey's Anatomy - who was enlisted by Netflix last summer.

His past TV projects include Nip/Tuck, Glee and Feud: Bette and Joan.

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