Given how poorly their Spotify deal ended, will Meghan Markle and Prince Harry lose their Netflix income next?
For Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, life after stepping down as senior royals is as complicated as it gets. Since settling down in the U.S. with their two children (Markle gave birth to their second child, daughter Lilibet, in the U.S.), the royal couple has signed several multi-million deals in a bid to start a new life as a family of four.
Among these deals was a multi-year partnership with Spotify that led to the launch of Markle’s award-winning podcast, Archetypes. After just one season though, the digital music service announced that it was cutting ties with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Soon after, there has also been speculation that Netflix may follow Spotify’s lead and terminate their partnership with the royal couple soon enough.
The Royal Couple’s Spotify Deal Was Terminated Prematurely
Back in 2020, it was announced that Prince Harry and Markle had struck a deal with Spotify that would see the royal couple host and produce podcasts under their new company, Archewell Audio.
The deal was estimated to be worth $20 million to $25 million, and Markle’s Archetypes kicked off the partnership as she welcomed guests such as good friend Serena Williams, Mindy Kaling, Mariah Carey, and Paris Hilton.
The podcast went on to win a lot of praise and awards. And while some may have anticipated the announcement of a second season of Archetypes, Spotify formally announced instead that its partnership with Markle and Prince Harry was over.
Despite the success of Markle’s podcast, a report from The Wall Street Journal suggested that Markle and Prince Harry failed to meet Spotify’s “productivity benchmarks,” which included their ability to come up with concepts for new podcast series.
This supposedly led to the termination of their deal. It also said that the royal couple likely didn’t receive the full $20 to $25 million as a result.
Soon after, Bill Simmons, a Spotify executive who sold his podcast network company to Spotify for $200 million back in 2020, also took to his podcast, calling Prince Harry and Markle “grifters.” He also went on to reveal that he once spoke with Prince Harry on Zoom to help him with a podcast idea.
Reports have also emerged that the Duke of Sussex reportedly pitched a podcast that would explore the impact of childhood trauma on powerful men. The proposed guest list is believed to include both Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.
Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Aren’t Fully Paid By Netflix Yet
Around the same time that the royal couple signed a deal with Spotify, they also entered into a partnership with Netflix through their newly formed company, Archewell Productions.
The five-year deal with the streamer is said to be worth around $100 million. However, when they signed the contract, industry insiders claimed that Prince Harry and Markle only received a small fraction of that money upfront.
As is common practice in deals like this, the royal couple would have had to provide a breakdown of the costs associated with producing a project before Netflix would write them a check. That said, Prince Harry and Markle are also expected to be paid separate fees for their roles as executive producers in any project with Netflix.
This deal with the streamer eventually kicked off with the release of the controversial docuseries Harry and Meghan (which was aired just several weeks before the release of Prince Harry’s equally controversial memoir, Spare).
Since then, however, it seemed like Netflix’s partnership with the royal couple hasn’t had much progress.
Does Netflix Still Want To Work With The Duke And Duchess Of Sussex?
In the wake of the terminated Spotify deal, many have begun to question the royal couple’s future with Netflix. On the one hand, their documentary series Harry and Meghan had been a huge hit for the streamer despite all the criticism surrounding the show.
Soon after its launch, the show spent four weeks in the U.S. top 10 and an astounding six weeks in the U.K. top 10 charts. It also spent several weeks in the top 10 of several other countries as well.
And while it seemed that the show performed according to expectations, there had been rumors that not all was well with the royal couple and Netflix behind the scenes.
For starters, Prince Harry and Markle’s second Netflix docuseries, Live to Lead, did not do as well, even failing to reach the top of the streamer’s charts despite featuring the likes of Jacinda Ardern, Greta Thunberg, and the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
In addition, prior to the launch of the series, it was revealed that the streamer quietly canceled Markle’s animated series, Pearl, while the project was still in the development stage. On the other hand, Netflix has remained committed to the release of Prince Harry’s documentary, Heart of Invictus, which follows several service members on their journey towards competing at the Invictus Games.
Little is known about the royal couple’s other future projects with the streamer beyond Heart of Invictus and various sources have claimed that Netflix is not looking to renew its partnership with the couple. In recent weeks though, the streamer has released a statement to affirm its working relationship with Prince Harry and Markle.
In a statement to People, a spokesperson for the company has emphasized that it continues to “value” its partnership with the royal couple and confirmed that “a number of projects” are currently in the works. Among these rumored projects is a TV show based on the character of Miss Havisham from Charles Dicken’s Great Expectations (although it is also worth noting that FX Networks recently released a similar concept with Oscar winner Olivia Colman portraying Miss Havisham).
For now, there has been no formal announcement regarding other future projects between Netflix and the royal couple. Both fans and critics are awaiting what happens next. Meanwhile, WME, which represents both Archewell and Markle, previously announced that Markle will develop Archetypes for “another platform.”
