Harry and Meghan reveal Netflix deal – but what will it mean for the Royal Family

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have revealed they have a new deal with Netflix and the contract will see them offer a wide range of programmes to the streaming giant.

Harry and Meghan have a ”first look” deal with the media company now, meaning they will now give Netflix first option on their creative projects.

New stage in partnership between Harry, Meghan and Netflix

It loosens the ties although a partnership remains.

The couple originally signed a deal with Netflix in 2020. It was reported to be worth around $100 million.

There was a mixed reception to the couple’s previous slate of content with the streaming giant. Their 2022 docuseries, Harry & Meghan, offered a candid window into their departure from royal life and drew record viewership for the platform — though critical response was divided.

Subsequent projects, however, such as Live to Lead, struggled to capture the same cultural moment.

Meghan’s most recent project, With Love, Meghan, received a range of indifferent to negative reviews although a second series is already set to air this autumn. The new deal confirms there will be a Christmas special, too.

It’s also led to a business relationship as Meghan builds her ‘As Ever’ range which recently expanded into wines.

Prince Harry’s programme about Polo failed to grab attention and it’s been widely reported that the previous kind of exclusive deal was unlikely to be renewed.

Fiction, drama and more cookery

Now, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have announced that their partnership with Netflix is continuing although with less guarantee that all their material will be taken by the media giant.

However, several projects are already inked in. Netflix is looking at an adaptation of Meet Me By the Lake, the novel by Carley Fortune.

Insiders suggest that Archewell Productions, the couple’s media company, has “learnt valuable lessons” after less than positive responses to a range of recent output including the Netflix shows and Meghan’s podcasts and intends to sharpen its creative vision.

Gone, it appears, is the autobiographical tone that characterised their initial Netflix offerings. Instead, the Sussexes are pivoting toward scripted dramas, nature documentaries, and family-focused series — a bid to move from subject to storyteller.

That could mean far fewer insights into their lives as members of the Royal Family – the couple stepped back as working royals over five years ago and now are firmly settled in California with their children, Archie and Lili.

Long term questions remain

Still, questions linger over the long-term viability of the Sussexes’ Hollywood ambitions. Their Spotify partnership was unceremoniously ended last year after just one season of Archetypes, prompting a senior Spotify executive to label them “grifters” — a comment that reportedly left the couple “deeply hurt.” At the time, industry insiders speculated that their star power might be waning.

However, the stakes are high. Streaming platforms have grown increasingly risk-averse amid tightening budgets and shifting viewer habits. Celebrity cachet alone is no longer sufficient; content must perform. The Sussexes’ latest endeavour will need to prove its merit not just at the headlines level, but in sustained audience engagement.

For Harry and Meghan, the coming months may determine more than just their status in the media landscape. It may shape the legacy of their post-royal chapter — not as exiles from the Firm, but as entrepreneurs, storytellers, and, perhaps above all, a couple still determined to control the narrative.