Netflix has opted not to renew its five-year production agreement with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, dealing a significant financial and reputational blow to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, according to multiple sources familiar with the decision. The contract, reportedly worth $100 million, was originally signed in September 2020 and included plans to produce documentaries, scripted series, and other original content for the streaming giant.
The couple's flagship project, the 2022 docuseries Harry & Meghan, was a high-profile success and among the most talked-about releases on the platform. However, subsequent ventures failed to generate comparable interest. Meghan's recent lifestyle series, With Love, Meghan, did not break into Netflix's top 300 most-watched shows for 2025, and Harry's Polo reportedly drew a modest viewership of just 500,000.
Sources told People magazine that the decision reflects a broader strategic pivot at Netflix. Another insider told The Sun, "The deal is done; no more shows will be made. Netflix feel they've got all they could from the couple." That same source added, "But for Harry, especially, this will be a blow. It's a huge loss of revenue."
Kinsey Schofield, a royal commentator appearing on GB News, said, "A source told American journalist Rob Shuter that this deal is dead. They said she had the name, the platform and the press. But the numbers were dismal." Schofield added, "here is no appetite for anything new. They said the interest is just not there anymore. They used to be cool and hip and buzzy. Now, they've become background noise."
Despite no official statement from Netflix or the Sussexes, the narrative has fueled speculation about the couple's future in entertainment. One source cited by The Sun noted that while the streamer would be open to a "one-off project," their partnership with the couple will expire quietly.
Observers say the split is not acrimonious. "They're not unhappy with how things turned out," one source said. "they got those initial hits, and produced one of the most talked-about shows of all time."
Meghan, meanwhile, has shifted focus to her lifestyle brand As Ever and has launched a series of rebranded ventures in 2025, including Confessions of a Female Founder. "Within 2025, it felt like this chaotic release of Meghan Markle brands. New names for everything," Schofield said. "There's just no choreography."
While Schofield praised Meghan's tenacity, she noted the imbalance in public perception. "You've got to give it to her-at least she's trying," she said. "Especially compared to Prince Harry. We don't see as much ambition from him."
The couple's media ambitions have faced other recent setbacks. Their $25 million Spotify deal ended after a single season of Meghan's Archetypes podcast and limited output from Harry. Bill Simmons, head of podcast innovation at Spotify, bluntly criticized the couple, calling them "f***ing grifters" on his own show. "That's the podcast we should have launched with them," he said.
When the Netflix deal was first announced, Ted Sarandos, Netflix's co-CEO, stated: "We're incredibly proud they have chosen Netflix as their creative home." At the time, the couple said they aimed to "create content that informs but also gives hope."
In their 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Harry explained that media deals were not part of an original plan but became necessary after being "cut off financially" by the royal family. "I had to afford security for us," he said.
