Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s brand faces major problems as their Netflix deal nears an end, with few successful content releases. Harry and Meghan signed a 5-year mega-deal with Netflix in 2020, requiring them to produce content under the streaming giant. The contract took off on a good trajectory, with their debut documentary, Harry and Meghan hitting Netflix less than a year later and bringing in impressive numbers. This was followed by the less successful project, Live to Lead, which focused more on some extraordinary leaders of our lifetimes, and less on the Sussexes.
Two more series have followed since, including The Heart of Invictus about the Harry-founded Invictus Games, and the highly criticized show, Polo which dropped in 2023 and 2024 respectively. The lesser success of these subsequent projects compared to their explosive debut film Harry & Meghan, or Harry’s 2023 memoir, Spare gives an idea about the subjects the Sussexes better rank for.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Commercial Sussex Dependent on Royal Dirt
Royal expert Emily Andrews hit the nail on the head in a recent interview, noting that content from the Sussexes can only be commercially viable if it casts dirt on the royals or offers a glimpse into their personal lives. She cited Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s showbiz history since signing their Netflix deal to prove her claim, noting,
“Commercially speaking, what’s worked so far for Harry and Meghan is anything that closely involves their own lives (and some would say spilling the tea). When they step back, their content tends to fail.”
Hence, Prince Harry’s reluctance to discuss his past royal life, or spill more royal secrets lately could put a damper on his showbiz success. The royal commentator divulged,
“This is a major problem, particularly for Harry, who has made it clear that he no longer wants to talk about his ‘old’ royal life (except when suing the press, of course).”
Furthermore, should the prince decide to resume his secret-spilling crusade against the royals, there is only so much he could leak before the world tires of his antics. By implication, while this tea-spilling venture could account for short-term success, its sustainability, in the long run, is questionable. This poses a major problem for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex who hope to achieve unparalleled Hollywood success after ditching the UK for the American Dream.
Putting all these into consideration, the chances of Netflix renewing their contract with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are slim. Yet, one can’t rule it out just yet as the estranged royals still have some unreleased projects in the works including Meghan Markle’s upcoming show about cooking and gardening. Both activities align with her passion and generally attract a wide audience compared to Harry’s niche-limited Polo. Who knows, the show just might become the duchess’ ticket to becoming one of the highly-placed lifestyle queens. Here’s to hoping it’s all worth the hype this time.
