Meghan Markle and Prince Harry must do what they can to keep Netflix on board as their $100 million contract with the streamer is set to expire later this year.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex signed a lucrative deal with the streaming giant in 2020 after quitting royal life and moving to the US.
But following the release of “With Love, Meghan” earlier this month, official viewership numbers showed that the the 8-part cooking series brought in substantially less views than their 2022 docuseries, “Harry & Meghan.”
According to prominent royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams, the duo must keep their partnership with the streamer afloat as they reach crunch time.
“They have to get Netflix and have to keep them on board,” Fitzwilliams told GB News, suggesting that the couple is likely to ink a follow-on deal from the original contract.
“I think they will get something from Netflix in the future, that seems to be the sign because the head of content at Netflix appeared to be appreciating their efforts in statements so that does imply that something is going to continue with Netflix,” he told the outlet.
“I would be amazed if it was anything like what they planned when they first signed. Whatever contract comes up, it appears there’s going to be some sort of continuation,” he said, adding that the new deal “might be peanuts” compared to their current $100 million deal.
“Certainly for the Sussexes it is far from encouraging,” Fitzwilliams added.
According to Netflix’s own data, “With Love, Meghan” landed the No. 10 spot globally and a tally of 12.6 million hours watched in its first 6 days.
These stats came in low compared with the record 81.5 million hours set by 2022’s “Harry & Meghan,” which became the No. 2 English language TV show in just 4 days on the platform.
Still, it appears as though Netflix was pleased with the streaming numbers Markle’s cooking show raked in, as has already greenlit the series for Season 2.
After signing a $100 million deal with the streamer in 2020, the Sussexes came out with their five-part “Harry & Meghan” docuseries in 2022.
The docuseries provided an intimate look into the duo’s new life in California after sensationally stepping down as senior members of the royal family.
They also executive-produced Netflix’s docuseries “Live to Lead,” which focused on trailblazers such as New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Greta Thunberg, Gloria Steinem and Equal Justice Initiative attorney Bryan Stevenson.
The project was closely followed by “Heart of Invictus,” a documentary following athletes preparing for the Harry-founded Invictus Games, which aired in August 2023.
In December, Harry released his “Polo” documentary. The project — which barely featured the exiled royal — received a frosty reception from critics.
