When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle first signed their eye-watering $100 million deal with Netflix back in September 2020, the streaming giant seemed to be betting on their star power alone. At the time, fresh from stepping down as senior working royals, the Sussexes were global media gold. But as the years went on, their projects didn’t always match the hype—and by mid-2025, critics were openly calling the partnership a bust.
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The warning signs were clear. Meghan’s cooking and lifestyle series With Love, Meghan barely cracked 5.3 million views worldwide, landing far outside Netflix’s global top rankings. Harry’s passion project Polo fared even worse, with only around half a million viewers—numbers more in line with niche documentaries than marquee celebrity content. Industry insiders began to whisper what viewers were already posting online: the content was “basic,” “tone-deaf,” and, perhaps most damning, “forgettable.”
By July 2025, it was official—the original five-year deal would not be renewed in its current form. Headlines screamed of Netflix “walking away” and the Sussex brand in “free fall.” Yet, in a twist that surprised many, just weeks later Netflix announced a fresh multi-year “first-look” agreement with Archewell Productions, the couple’s company. This wasn’t the $100 million blanket deal of old; it was a leaner, more flexible arrangement.
Why keep them at all? Simple: while the numbers have been shaky, Harry and Meghan still command global name recognition. That brand power can work—if the right projects are chosen. The new slate is already in motion: a second season of With Love, Meghan, a holiday special, a documentary short highlighting Ugandan dance group Masaka Kids, and a romantic film adaptation of Meet Me at the Lake. These choices feel safer, more targeted, and better aligned with Netflix’s current content strategy, which favors smaller, project-based deals over sprawling celebrity contracts.
For Netflix, this isn’t madness—it’s calculated risk. They’re cutting the financial bloat, keeping the potential for a hit, and limiting exposure if the Sussexes’ next chapter still underperforms. For Harry and Meghan, it’s a lifeline. The platform remains global, the opportunities remain real, and the door to redemption—both critically and commercially—is still open.
The real question isn’t whether Netflix is crazy. It’s whether Harry and Meghan can finally deliver content that justifies the faith—and the headlines—that keep following them.