Disney is bringing all past seasons of “Grey’s Anatomy” to Hulu — while they will remain on Netflix — coinciding with the official launch of Hulu on Disney+ in March 2024.
Starting in the spring 2024, Hulu and Netflix will share the co-exclusive U.S. streaming rights to all prior 19 seasons of “Grey’s Anatomy” as part of a new licensing deal between Disney Entertainment and Netflix. Only Hulu will have the complete series as new in-season episodes from the upcoming Season 20 of the hit show will be available to stream (after they air on ABC) along with the 19 previous seasons. “Grey’s Anatomy,” the longest-running medical drama on primetime TV, is created by Shonda Rhimes and produced by ABC Signature, a part of Disney Television Studios, and Shondaland.
The “Grey’s Anatomy” expansion on Hulu is part of a proposed short-term U.S. content agreement under which Disney Entertainment will license 14 library series to Netflix on a nonexclusive basis. According to a source familiar with the situation, Netflix and Disney have not officially closed the deal yet.
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The Disney-owned titles that would come to Netflix (and the premiere dates) nonexclusively under the agreement are: “The Wonder Years” (Jan. 1, 2024), “This is Us” (Jan. 8, 2024), “My Wife & Kids” (Feb. 5, 2024); “ESPN 30 for 30” (25 episodes; premiere dates vary between February-December 2024); “The Resident” (March 4, 2024); “White Collar” (April 1, 2024); “Reba” (May 6, 2024); “Archer” (May 13, 2024); “How I Met You Mother” (June 3, 2024); “Lost” (July 1, 2024); “Prison Break” (July 29, 2024); “The Hughleys” (Sept. 2, 2024); “Bernie Mac” (Jan. 1, 2025); and “Home Improvement” (Feb. 1, 2025).
The older seasons of “Grey’s Anatomy” will land on Hulu at the same time Disney officially launches Hulu on Disney+, which made its debut in a beta form last week. The “one app” integration lets subscribers of both Disney+ and Hulu access most (but not all) of the Hulu lineup from any of the Disney+ apps.
Disney CEO Bob Iger, on the Mouse House’s earnings call last month, said Disney was in talks to license some of its content to Netflix, where it ended a previous output deal in 2017 but still continues to license select titles. But Iger told investors Disney does not expect to license “core brands” from Disney, Pixar, Marvel or Star Wars to Netflix: “I don’t see why, just to basically chase bucks, we should do that when [the franchises] are really, really important building blocks to the current and future of our streaming business.”
