Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are allegedly making one-off deals with streaming services like Netflix in case they get a divorce, an insider has recently revealed. The controversial couple has had a series of hits and misses when it comes to their Netflix shows, and now, it seems their most recent ratings will change everything.
In her podcast, The Rest Is Entertainment, journalist and screenwriter Marina Hyde said that while Netflix may not be renewing Markle and Harry’s expensive contract, there’s a good chance streaming platforms will be ready to make separate deals with the former royals. If things happen to go awry with their marriage and they decide to call it off officially, you may be getting even more content from both parties.
Netflix will reportedly not be renewing Harry and Meghan's $100M contract
In 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex made a major deal with Netflix and signed a $100M contract that would last five years. Their first Netflix documentary series, Harry & Meghan, was released in 2022 and generated views from millions of households.
However, Markle's latest solo project with Netflix, titled With Love, Meghan, has been doing significantly worse in terms of ratings and has received some harsh reviews. Some of those reviews referred to Markle's presence in the show as potentially inauthentic and unapproachable. As a “television expert,” Hyde believes that the series' poor performance contributed to Netflix deciding not to renew the Sussexes' contract as a unit.
As divorce rumors continue to circulate around the duo, Netflix and other streaming services may have other plans for the Spare author and Suits alum.
Harry and Meghan may make new deals if they choose to divorce
The couple seems unable to avoid the constant turmoil, leaving many to speculate whether they will eventually call it quits and divorce. Even if they do, it doesn't necessarily mean we won't see more updates from them.
As noted by the Daily Mail, Hyde recently said in an episode of her podcast that "a lot of people are hanging around in case there's a divorce." This means that Netflix may create one-off deals with Markle and Harry to "keep a vague hand" in their story, and create more content related to their split. After all, there's nothing quite like a juicy divorce story to generate views.
The couple may want to explore new projects
It's no secret that Harry and Markle have been attempting to earn more success outside of the royal family by taking on several different types of solo projects. For instance, Harry published his memoir, Spare, and Markle recently announced a new podcast series, Confessions of a Female Founder.
Still, as highlighted by the publication in the aforementioned podcast episode, Hyde and her podcast co-host, Osman, believe that Markle could make a significant profit if she decided to return to acting. Many television lovers praised Markle for her performance as Rachel Zane in Suits, her final role before marrying Harry and entering the royal family.
Osman also said on The Rest Is Entertainment that acting used to be what Markle was "known for." He added, "she's good at it," before suggesting she should "do that." Although Netflix has decided against renewing their contract, the future remains unclear for the couple, particularly since With Love, Meghan appears to have been unsuccessful.
