The new deal was announced weeks before the Sussexes’ initial five-year deal with Netflix was set to expire. Photo / Getty Images
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have signed a new multi-year Netflix deal on reduced terms.
The contract is less extensive than their original five-year deal, reputed to have been worth US$100m ($168.4m), marking a loosening of ties between the couple and the streaming giant.
PR and crisis expert Mark Borkowski described the new deal as a “downgrade” and suggested Netflix was “pivoting away” from the Sussexes.
However, Prince Harry and Meghan are said to be “proud” to extend the partnership, which comes despite a series of lacklustre offerings and claims that it would not be renewed at all.
The “first look” deal means the Duke and Duchess will continue to develop their careers in the world of show business more than five years after they quit the royal family firm to move abroad and seek financial independence.
However, rather than funding the couple’s entire production output, the deal gives Netflix the first option on the Sussexes’ film and television projects.
Among their first offerings will be a short documentary called Masaka Kids, A Rhythm Within, based on a group of African orphans whose dance videos have become a YouTube sensation.
The film is said to go “beyond the viral videos to reveal a vibrant, one-of-a-kind community where orphaned children transform hardship into joy, dancing their way toward healing, belonging, and the promise of a brighter future”. Harry and Meghan are listed as co-producers.
In December, the Duchess will also present a one-off “magical holiday” special of With Love, Meghan, her cookery and lifestyle show, which promises to show viewers how to “deck the halls, create holiday feasts, craft heartfelt gifts and share lots of laughs”.
There is said to be “active development” on other projects, which “span a variety of content genres”, including a feature adaptation of the bestselling romantic novel Meet Me at the Lake, by Carley Fortune.
The announcement was made on Monday, just weeks before the expiration of the Sussexes’ initial five-year Netflix deal, signed in September 2020.
The Duchess, whose As Ever brand is now run in conjunction with Netflix, said: “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.”
Netflix chief content officer Bela Bajaria said: “Harry and Meghan are influential voices whose stories resonate with audiences everywhere”.
A spokesman for the couple declined to comment on how much the new contract was worth but a source familiar with the deal told the New York Times the less lucrative deal was “a sign that the high-profile 2020 deal may not have met expectations”.
Netflix has also backed away from such all-encompassing deals. Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground production company, which signed a deal with Netflix in 2018 covering all overheads, salaries and a fund to develop new projects, last year transitioned to a similar first-look deal.
But while Higher Ground won an Oscar in 2020 for its documentary American Factory, and was also behind 2023’s Leave the World Behind, one of Netflix’s biggest film hits, the Duke and Duchess have struggled to make their mark.
The couple have produced only a handful of shows in the last five years, the most successful being their six-part Harry & Meghan docuseries released in December 2022. The show generated 23.4 million views in its first four days, the most for a documentary on the service.
Heart of Invictus, the Duke’s behind-the-scenes documentary about the competitors preparing for the 2022 Games, was released in August 2023, followed by Polo, a documentary about his favourite sport, in December 2024, neither of which captured the public imagination.
The Duke and Duchess also lent their voices to Live to Lead, a series featuring pre-recorded interviews with global leaders and activists.
The first series of With Love, Meghan was broadcast in March to a series of negative reviews in the UK and the US. But the show has attracted 5.3 million views since its debut, making it Netflix’s most watched cookery show since its release. The second series, filmed immediately after the first, will be released this month.
By joining forces with Netflix to launch As Ever, the Duchess secured a long-term partnership with the streaming giant.
The brand, which originally focused on jam and edible sprinkles, has recently launched two Californian rosé wines and is expected to branch into hospitality and entertaining.
Meghan has developed a close working relationship with Bajaria, recently revealing that the TV executive came up with the idea for With Love, Meghan, after she sent her fruit baskets and jams.
Bajaria said on Monday: “The response to their work speaks for itself – Harry & Meghan gave viewers an intimate look into their lives and quickly became one of our most-watched documentary series.
“More recently, fans have been inspired by With Love, Meghan, with products from the new As Ever line consistently selling out in record time.
“We’re excited to continue our partnership with Archewell Productions and to entertain our members together.”
The Sussexes launched Archewell Productions in 2020, stating that it would “produce programming that informs, elevates, and inspires” for Netflix.
The couple’s other major media deal, with Spotify, ended in 2023 after one season of Meghan’s podcast Archetypes, with one of the company’s executives later branding them “grifters”.