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After prolonged anticipation, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle released their co-executive-produced Netflix show about Polo, which somehow missed the target by a margin. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have worked behind the scenes to make the most of the remaining months of their multi-year Netflix deal, which expires in 2025. The streaming giant offered a first look at their sport-centric series last month, earning the wrath of critics and animal lovers who had an issue with the choice of sport. As the series hits the screens this week, more viewers have come to analyze firsthand the perks of Harry’s new show, Polo further intensifying the scrutiny.
Nick Ede, a UK brand and culture expert, is weighing in on the new polo series and its overall implications for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Netflix deal. The five-part docuseries follows some world-famous Polo athletes as they navigate their professional and private lives leading up to the polo World Cup in Florida. Featuring Adolfo and Poroto Cambiaso, Nacho Figuras, and Timmy Dutta, the show made do on its promise to give viewers a glimpse into the world of polo as never seen before.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Netflix Polo Show Found Wanting
However, Nick, like many, believes the show fell short of expectations when it came to delivering on that promise. Discussing the new Netflix show, Polo, he explained how Harry and Meghan’s latest foray into production hasn’t received good reviews, setting them up for another huge fall. Nick divulged,
“All eyes will be on whether the show rates and makes the very important top ten. It could, like the Invictus documentary, start well due to the public’s fascination with the pair and with polo potentially.”
Despite the expected initial craze, Nick believes the Netflix polo show would not hold a candle to blockbusters saturating the market this holiday season and beyond. He added,
“This could potentially be a nail in the coffin for their deal with the streaming giant who now use algorithms to make sure their programming is perfect for their subscribers.”
Harry and Meghan’s Little Screentime Endangers New Series
Nick Ede highlighted another major drawback of the Netflix Polo film, which hardly featured Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. According to him, giving the Sussexes very little screentime further dwindles the chances of scoring high viewership and ratings, which would strongly reflect on the streamer’s algorithms. That, coupled with the shallow publicity surrounding the series reduces the prospects of Prince Harry scoring big on his new series. He divulged,
“With very little airtime, we don’t get to see the pair much and also hardly any PR around the series, this looks like it’s Oh No! Rather than Polo!”
While Prince Harry’s “big idea” to create a documentary about polo as part of his Netflix deal is seemingly on its way to making the “flop” list, Meghan Markle’s food show, still underway, may have better odds. Regardless, the brand expert pointed out how the hype around the food show isn’t “boiling” as much as one would expect given the Sussex’s reputation. This turn of events could leave Netflix bosses “worrying about their big investment.” The less-than-impressive performance of the Sussexes in holding up their side of the multimillion-dollar Netflix deal stirs uncertaintyty about whether or not the streamer would renew the contract come 2025.
