After stepping down as working royals in 2020 and moving to America, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle signed multi-year, lucrative deals with Spotify and Netflix to produce content for the streaming platforms.
But after inking those contracts, both companies were left waiting for the Sussexes. Finally, in 2022, Meghan’s Archetypes podcast debuted. However, Spotify canceled the podcast after just 12 episodes and ended its partnership with the couple before a company executive publicly called them “f****** grifters.” Now, a royal author is explaining why four years into their Netflix deal, the streaming giant may do the same rather than renew the deal in 2025 and how that will affect the duke and duchess.
Expert says Prince Harry and Meghan are in danger of being ‘humiliated’ again
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry (accompanied by a film crew) meet athletes and supporters of the Invictus Games in The Hague, Netherlands
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry (accompanied by a film crew) meet athletes and supporters of the Invictus Games in The Hague, Netherlands | Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images
Royal expert and author Tom Quinn spoke to The Mirror about what not getting another contract with Netflix would mean for the prince and former Suits star. He told the publication that the pair “would find it impossible to recover from the blow of losing their Netflix contract.”
Quinn claimed that Harry and Meghan were embarrassed by the Spotify fiasco because the contract was terminated prematurely due to a lack of content and they do not want to deal with another public flop.
“It’s very likely to be a repeat of the problem with the couple’s Spotify contract which came to an abrupt end in 2023 after Harry and Meghan failed, according to a Spotify spokesperson, to meet ‘productivity benchmarks,’” Quinn said. “It’s always been Meghan’s dream to build a hugely successful commercial enterprise and she is still convinced even after the Spotify debacle that she has the drive and talent to make this happen.
“The loss of the Netflix contract would be a major blow and one from which it would be all but impossible to recover. The last thing Meghan wants is the humiliation of trying to set up a deal with a much smaller company — the way things are going even that might not be a possibility.”
The Sussexes have 2 projects currently in the works for Netflix
Prince Harry plays polo during the Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup
Prince Harry plays polo during the Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup | Matt Jelonek/Getty Images for Sentebale
So far the only content Netflix has gotten from the Sussexes is the six-part docuseries Harry & Meghan in 2022 and two other documentaries, which did not even crack the platform’s Top 20.
But the duke and duchess have two new shows in the works. One is a documentary Prince Harry will be featured in about the sport of polo and the other is a cooking and gardening show curated by Meghan. The description for the latter program says it “celebrates the joys of cooking, gardening, entertaining, and friendship.” The series is directed by Michael Steed with Meghan and Chanel Pysnik serving as executive producers alongside showrunner Leah Hariton.
According to Quinn though, that’s not enough.
He opined: “Harry and Meghan are on the brink of losing their multi-million-dollar Netflix contract for the simple reason that Netflix expected a great deal more from the couple.”