Reason Behind Non-Renewal of Netflix Contract for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, have been making headlines since their step back from royal life and relocation to California in 2020. Their five-year contract with streaming giant Netflix is set to expire starting from September 2022, but recent reports suggest that the couple will part ways with the platform.
Over the course of their partnership, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have released several high-profile projects on Netflix, including the docuseries Harry & Meghan, Heart of Invictus, Live to Lead, and Polo, as well as Meghan Markle's lifestyle show, With Love, Meghan. However, their latest collaborations have reportedly failed to generate the expected interest, leading to the rumours of ending their contract.
One of their projects, With Love, Meghan, failed to secure a place in Netflix's biannual report of the top 300 shows. Despite this, Netflix has extended a downgraded multi-year creative partnership with their Archewell Productions, which includes a second season of With Love, Meghan, a holiday special, and a movie based on the romance book Meet Me at the Lake.
Rumours of a potential partnership with streaming platform Paramount+ have been circulating, but the latest updates show that the couple has not moved to Paramount+ following their reported split from Netflix. Netflix remains their streaming partner, albeit with a reduced-scale deal compared to their original multi-year agreement signed in 2020.
Meghan Markle shared a post about the ending of their contract with Netflix on her Instagram account (@meghan), but there has been no official comment from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex regarding a new collaboration or deal with Paramount+. It has not been confirmed whether they will sign a new contract with another streaming service.
Insiders have stressed that the end of the contract doesn't necessarily close the door on future collaborations with Netflix. Meghan Markle is reportedly on good terms with Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos, and the streaming service is open to a "one-off project" with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in the future.
For Harry, the end of the contract with Netflix is expected to be a significant loss of revenue. As they move forward, it will be interesting to see where their next collaborations and projects will take them.
- The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's latest collaborations with Netflix, including 'With Love, Meghan', have reportedly fallen short of expectations, sparking rumors of ending their contract.
- Despite rumors of a partnership with Paramount+, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have not moved to the streaming platform following their reported split from Netflix.
- Insiders have suggested that the end of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's contract with Netflix doesn't necessarily mean the closure of future collaborations, as Meghan Markle maintains a good relationship with Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos and the platform is open to a potential "one-off project" in the future.
