A month after announcing her departure from popular US network ABC, Channing Dungey is headed to Netflix, where she will be the streaming service’s Co-Vice President of Originals – a title shared with Cindy Holland.
In her new role, Dungey will make strategic decisions about Netflix’s in-house content. She will also be charged with overseeing some of the service’s overall deals, including contracts with Shonda Rhimes, Kenya Barris, the Obamas and Jenji Kohan, among others.
“I’m drawn to the forward-thinking, risk-taking and creative culture at Netflix, and the deeply talented people there, especially Ted and Cindy, with whom I’m excited to partner on setting the strategy for original content,” Dungey said in a statement. “Given that ABC, the place I’ve called home for nearly 15 years, represents the gold standard of traditional broadcast, it feels like the perfect next step for me to join Netflix, the unparalleled leader in streaming. I’m invigorated by the challenges ahead and the opportunity to forge new relationships, and excited for the very welcome reunion with incredible talent.”
Previously, Dungey worked at Walt Disney Co., which she joined in 2004. However, she spent a major part of her career at ABC — first at ABC Studios and then at ABC Entertainment. She led ABC Studios’ Drama department and helped build Shonda Rhimes’ TV empire from the ground up with a key role in the development of Scandal and casting Kerry Washington as the lead.
Dungey then became the first black woman to lead a major U.S. TV Network, when she became ABC’s Entertainment President. In this role, she was at the center of the network’s Roseanne imbroglio in May and played a major role in the decision to cancel the sitcom following Roseanne Barr’s racist Twitter rant. When she quit, she was succeeded by Karey Burke, Freeform’s former head of original programming.
Dungey is expected to start at Netflix in February of 2019.
