Netflix is preparing to let its multimillion-dollar partnership with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry expire in 2025, following a string of underwhelming content releases and disappointing viewer numbers, according to a source close to the streaming company.
"This deal is dead," a Netflix insider told the Mail, referencing the Sussexes' five-year agreement signed in 2020, reportedly worth £78 million (approximately $100 million). "She had everything going for her-name, platform, press-and the numbers were dismal. They're just waiting for the credits to roll. They're letting it expire without drama. There's no appetite for anything new."
The platform has already decided not to renew the Sussexes' deal once it lapses. Markle's latest Netflix series, With Love, Meghan, failed to make the streamer's top 300 most-watched shows in the first half of 2025. The eight-episode lifestyle program drew only 5.3 million views, placing it at No. 383 on Netflix's global rankings, alongside years-old content like Peaky Blinders (2014) and Suits Season 4 (2011), the latter of which featured Markle before her marriage to Prince Harry.
Harry's recent documentary Polo fared even worse, ranking 3,436 out of 7,000 titles with just 500,000 views over six months. Despite a flashy launch for With Love, Meghan, which initially cracked Netflix's global top 10, interest dropped sharply following critical reviews.
"There's nothing there," broadcaster Esther Krakue said on The Sun's Royal Exclusive, adding, "She is not an entertainer or an entertaining person." The series showed Meghan gardening, cooking with friends like Mindy Kaling and Daniel Martin, and crafting handmade gifts at a farmhouse near the couple's $15 million Montecito estate.
The first season's weak performance raises questions about the announced second season. Netflix has not formally commented on the upcoming release, although Meghan recently posted on Instagram: "Lettuce romaine calm... or not(!) because I'm thrilled to share that Season 2 of With Love, Meghan is coming!" while wearing a Netflix cap.
The series was timed to coincide with the launch of Markle's lifestyle brand As Ever, which has also drawn criticism. A recent review in The Cut-a publication that once championed the Duchess-slammed the brand's $14 raspberry jam as "slimy," "like baby food," and "very disappointing." Another editor said: "It sucks! It's like something you'd see at the toppings bar at Pinkberry."
Meanwhile, Markle's venture into alcoholic beverages, including a Napa Valley rosé launching July 1, and the re-stock of select As Ever products like flower sprinkles and honey, hasn't reversed the downturn in public reception. The brand also faced allegations of logo plagiarism from the mayor of a small town in Mallorca, who claims Markle's crest resembles a 14th-century Spanish coat of arms.
The Sussexes' partnership with Netflix had previously shown early promise. Their Harry & Meghan documentary scored the platform's biggest documentary debut but failed to sustain momentum. By the end of 2023, data revealed that Suits had outpaced the documentary's viewing hours by a factor of nine.
