Insights

Shonda Rhimes Titles In-Demand Globally

28 November, 2016

Shonda Rhimes is the reigning queen of television. Her production company ShondaLand dominates Thursday nights on ABC with four popular titles: the old-but-strong Grey’s Anatomy, hits Scandal and How to Get Away With Murder, and the recent mid-season replacement The Catch. In addition, she has produced former shows Private Practice and Off the Map, and will be releasing a new series Still Star-Crossed in 2017. With such a strong body of work, it is no surprise that Shonda Rhimes has received many honors, including Personality of the Year at MIPCOM 2016.

ShondaLand titles are undoubtedly popular in the United States, but they also fare quite well around the world. This map shows the average demand for the six ShondaLand titles in over 100 countries around the world, with the darker color indicating stronger demand.

From the map, it becomes clear that Shonda Rhimes’ titles are popular worldwide. In fact, the United States only has moderate demand for the shows; they are more popular in many countries, including other English-speaking markets such as Canada and Australia.

Overall, ShondaLand shows have the highest demand in Africa, Latin America, and Southern Europe, with Botswana, Brazil, and Italy among the markets where these titles are most popular. While the shows have the least amount of demand in Asia, the Philippines and the UAE have significant demand for them. This popularity in such a wide range of countries and cultures illustrates the truly global appeal of ShondaLand shows, and in today’s interconnected world, content that has this global appeal will only become more valuable.

Of Shonda Rhimes’ many hits, which title is generating most of the demand? Her shows were ranked by demand in all markets and the most popular show identified. Out of the six titles, only three appeared in the top position:

While Scandal and How to Get Away With Murder are more recent titles, the vast majority of markets, including the United States, still prefer the original Shonda Rhimes hit Grey’s Anatomy. Scandal takes the top spot in exclusively African and Caribbean countries, while How to Get Away With Murder is only first in the Southeast Asian markets of the Philippines and Vietnam. All other countries have the most demand for Grey’s Anatomy; since it is the longest-running series, it has had the most time to propagate and become popular around the world.

Shonda Rhimes’ titles have achieved remarkable popularity not only in the United States, where they form an entire night for a major broadcast network, but also globally. These six titles have the most demand in regions as diverse as Africa, Latin America, and Europe, led primarily by the still-hot Grey’s Anatomy. With this track record, we expect the next ShondaLand production will also become a global hit.



Get a glimpse into the future of global audience demand measurement for TV shows, movies and talent and learn from consolidated insights and strategic thinking focused on the entertainment industry.

Exclusive global, regional and market-specific content and talent analyses
Rank 15,000+ talent in 50+ markets across all platforms
Rank 20k+ TV shows and 12k+ movies in 50+ markets across all platforms

The Global Television Demand Report

  • Truly understand the global SVOD originals landscape
  • Comprehensive platform market share benchmarks
  • Released each quarter covering 10 global markets
  • Get exclusive access to our comprehensive reports
  • Available for FREE with a DEMAND360LITE subscription