The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have officially signed a new multi-year film and television deal with Netflix, defying earlier reports suggesting that the streaming giant would not renew their contract. This development comes as a surprise, especially after the couple initially entered into a five-year agreement in 2020, reportedly valued at $100 million (£78 million), following their decision to step back from royal duties.
Since their partnership with Netflix began, Harry and Meghan have worked on several projects, the most recent being the Duchess's lifestyle series, With Love, Meghan. Despite their collaboration, media speculation indicated that disappointing viewing figures for some of their initiatives led to doubts about Netflix extending the "first look" deal. This arrangement allowed Netflix the first opportunity to consider any projects produced by their company, Archewell Productions.
For instance, With Love, Meghan did not manage to break into the top 300 shows on Netflix during the first half of this year. Furthermore, Harry's documentary titled Polo ranked a mere 3,346 out of 7,000 shows available on the platform. These statistics raised concerns about the couple's future with Netflix.
While the specific terms of the new "multi-year, first look deal for film and television projects" have not been disclosed, the duchess expressed her enthusiasm for continuing their partnership. She stated, “We’re proud to extend our partnership with Netflix and expand our work together to include the As Ever brand. My husband and I feel inspired by our partners who work closely with us and our Archewell Productions team to create thoughtful content across genres that resonates globally, and celebrates our shared vision.”
The renewed agreement will see the couple releasing a second season of With Love, Meghan later this month, along with a Christmas special scheduled for December. Additionally, Archewell Productions is currently developing a documentary titled Masaka Kids, A Rhythm Within, focusing on orphaned children in Uganda, a region still grappling with the effects of the HIV/Aids crisis.
It is also worth noting a recent boardroom dispute that led Prince Harry to step down in March from Sentebale, the charity he founded to support children orphaned by AIDS in Lesotho. A spokesperson indicated that the Duke is contemplating establishing a new charitable organization that would serve a similar purpose in the region.
There is ongoing development of other projects under the Archewell umbrella, which reportedly covers a diverse range of content genres. Among these is a feature film adaptation of the bestselling romantic novel Meet Me At The Lake by Carley Fortune. However, not all of the couple's ventures in content creation have seen commercial success. In 2023, their $20 million podcast deal with Spotify concluded after just 12 episodes, raising eyebrows and leading to criticism from Spotify's head of podcast innovation, who referred to the couple as “grifters” during a podcast episode.
Bill Simmons, a prominent figure at Spotify who sold his company to the streaming giant for $196 million, commented on the situation, stating, “I wish I had been involved in the ‘Meghan and Harry leave Spotify’ negotiation. The Fucking Grifters. That’s the podcast we should have launched with them.” Reports suggested that the royal couple failed to meet the productivity benchmarks necessary to receive the full payout from their Spotify deal.
As the Duke and Duchess embark on this new chapter with Netflix, many will be watching closely to see how their projects unfold and whether they can achieve the success they aspire to in the competitive world of streaming entertainment.
