Netflix Locks Down ‘Night Agent’ Creator Shawn Ryan With Increasingly Rare Overall Deal

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The prolific producer, who’d been with Sony for the last 13 years, was reportedly signed to an eight-figure deal

Shawn Ryan
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Producer Shawn Ryan has signed a four-year overall deal valued in the “eight figures” to transition his talents from longtime home Sony Pictures Television to Netflix, according to the Penske showbiz trades. 

Notably, Ryan is the creator/EP of The Night Agent, a Sony-produced series that was Netflix’s most-watched show last year. Season 2 of The Night Agent will drop later this year, with a third season about to enter development. 

In 2017, Netflix made a splash by tying up producer Shonda Rhimes to a multiyear deal valued at between $100 million and $150 million. A year later, the streaming giant struck a five-year overall pact with Ryan Murphy valued at a reported $300 million. 

These deals have been accretive for Netflix, with Rhimes creating Netflix hits Bridgerton and Inventing Anna, and Murphy overseeing Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. All three titles are among the most watched in Netflix history. 

But in streaming’s new age of austerity, these kinds of huge multiyear payouts are harder to get. 

With Murphy in the house, however, Netflix can more closely control the franchise expansion of The Night Agent.

Daniel Frankel
Daniel Frankel

Daniel Frankel is the managing editor of Next TV, an internet publishing vertical focused on the business of video streaming. A Los Angeles-based writer and editor who has covered the media and technology industries for more than two decades, Daniel has worked on staff for publications including E! Online, Electronic Media, Mediaweek, Variety, paidContent and GigaOm. You can start living a healthier life with greater wealth and prosperity by following Daniel on Twitter today!