As the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announce their new ‘multi-year, first look deal for film and television projects’ with Netflix, an expert has revealed what this really means for the royal couple
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have signed a new Netflix deal for “film and television projects” in their next brand move. While this deal is said to be worth less than their first with the streaming platform, a royal expert revealed that it signals a “strategic reset”, with their focus on “relevance”.
After weeks of speculation about their future with Netflix, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced their new “multi-year, first look” deal with the streaming platform earlier this week. Meghan, who has a partnership with Netflix for her As Ever brand, shared: “We’re proud to extend our partnership with Netflix and expand our work together to include the As ever brand.
“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.” It comes after Meghan Markle’s birthday ‘gimmick’ is quietly shelved after major mistake.
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Their new “first look” deal with Netflix means that the streaming giant has the first say on any new film or television project of theirs before anyone else. While this is thought to give Harry and Meghan more choice, they will have less investment with Netflix compared to their deal in 2020, which is thought to be worth more than 100 million dollars (£74 million).
But there could be a key reason behind their new Netflix deal. PR expert and Celebrity Manager, Mayah Riaz, exclusively told the Mirror: “This deal for Harry and Meghan signals a strategic reset rather than a retreat. While some might frame it as a “climbdown” from their initial mega-deal, I see it as a calculated move to recalibrate their brand narrative.
“Their first Netflix contract was all about shock factor and global curiosity, but now, the focus appears to be sustainability and relevance.”
On their new deal and what this means for the royal couple, Mayah (www.mayah.media) explained: “If the reported figures are accurate (rumoured to be worth around $100m), this new deal is likely smaller than their previous multi-million-dollar agreement. But this isn’t necessarily a downgrade as it could reflect a shift towards more targeted projects, lower risk for Netflix, and potentially give more creative control for Harry and Meghan.”
During their first deal with Netflix, they released their controversial docuseries, ‘Harry and Meghan’, where they were highly critical of the Royal Family. Despite this, it became one of the most-watched Netflix documentaries of all time with 23.4 million views.
Other projects included Harry’s series on Polo, which failed to attract the same number of viewers. Then there was Meghan’s cookery and lifestyle show, ‘With Love, Meghan’, which was released in March but received backlash from numerous critics.
When it comes to their latest Netflix deal, all eyes will be on them and what they create next. Sharing her thoughts on this, PR expert Mayah said: “The challenge will be avoiding the “fallen from grace” narrative and instead showing it as an evolution, where they move from sensational exclusives to credible, long-term content creation. If they get this right, it could really strengthen their reputation in both Hollywood and philanthropic circles.”
You can find more of Mayah’s work here.
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