Did Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s relationship with Netflix hit the skids?
There appear to be mixed reports on what is happening behind the scenes, but the royal couple can’t escape the narrative that they might be difficult to work with.
Variety did a deep dive on the partnership, taking a closer look at the dynamic between the streamer and the Sussexes. The report dates back to their early days, when they signed a lucrative five-year deal with Netflix in 2020 following their royal exit. While it was widely believed to be worth $100 million, sources for the media outlet claimed it was in the $60 million range.
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Either way, Netflix was eager to get the docuseries Harry & Meghan onto the schedule — but there were a few hiccups. Insiders reported to Variety that “many at the streamer were annoyed by the lack of communication” when it came to their March 2021 bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey. The couple’s spokesperson said it was “categorically false” that Netflix was “blindsided” by the broadcast, but it might have been an interview Netflix wanted the exclusive for. Instead, the show delivered 17.1 million viewers to CBS.
Variety also reported that Netflix was concerned about Prince Harry’s memoir, Spare, interfering with the docuseries. While the Sussexes’ spokesperson confirmed that Meghan and Harry coordinated the “timing between book and series,” other insiders talked about Netflix’s co-CEO Ted Sarandos being “riled to hear” that they would come out the same month. In the end, Harry & Meghan‘s complete release was moved up to December 2022, while Harry’s book was shifted to January 2023.
Still, the report conflicts with what Sarandos told Variety in March 2025 — he was a fan of the Sussexes.
“We’re a passive partner in Meghan’s company, and it’s a big discovery model for us right now,” Sarandos said last year. “I think Meghan is underestimated in terms of her influence on culture. When we dropped the trailer for the Harry & Meghan doc series [in 2022], everything on-screen was dissected in the press for days.”
He continued, “The shoes she was wearing sold out all over the world. The Hermès blanket that was on the chair behind her sold out everywhere in the world. People are fascinated with Meghan Markle. She and Harry are overly dismissed.”
Harry and Meghan have yet to find a smooth path for their post-royal life, but the conflicting views are hard to sort through. The truth might live somewhere in the middle.
More on the royal family:
Before you go, click here to see more of Meghan Markle & Prince Harry’s milestones since leaving the royal family.
