Netflix Just Paid a Ton of Money to Steal Ryan Murphy Away From Fox/FX

Netflix's strategy of spending tons of money doesn't just apply to shows, it applies to people too.

The streaming service's latest big win is signing prolific television producer Ryan Murphy to a multi-year deal, the company announced Tuesday night. Murphy is, of course, the creator of shows like Glee, American Horror Story, American Crime Story and more. He already had two projects set up at Netflix, the One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest prequel Ratched and the musical political series The Politician. This new deal solidifies the idea that he'll stay at Netflix.

It's also a bit of a full-circle moment for Netflix. The first show it ever licensed was FX's Nip/Tuck, which Murphy co-created.

The New York Times reports that Murphy's deal is for five years and is upwards of $300 million. The new deal means Murphy's stay at 21st Century Fox, where he made his name and like a billion shows for Fox and FX, is over, though he'll still be involved in his fleet of current shows, which include 9-1-1, Feud, upcoming series Pose and the American ___ Story shows. American Horror Story, for example, has been renewed through Season 9.

Shonda Rhimes Is Ditching ABC for Netflix

And because the television business has been so volatile as of late, Murphy's deal with Netflix is a slap in the face to Disney, which is in the process of acquiring Fox properties -- and the people with deals under Fox -- in a massive deal.

Asked about Disney's impending purchase of Fox at the Television Critics Association winter press tour in January, Murphy expressed apprehension, saying that when Disney CEO Bob Iger called him "I said point-blank, the stuff that I do is not specifically Disney, and I'm interested in that and I'm concerned about that, you know. Am I going to have to put Mickey Mouse in American Horror Story?"

Netflix, once known for stocking up on old shows, is now hoarding creative talent. The company made its presence known when it signed Grey's Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes to an exclusive deal, luring her away from ABC (which is also owned by Disney).

The TV wars are no joke, folks!