Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s lucrative deal with Netflix is making it difficult for TV professionals and show creators to find similar opportunities, according to an insider.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex signed a $100 million deal with the streaming giant in 2020 after quitting royal life and moving to the US.
Earlier this month, the duo released their “Polo” docuseries on the platform. However, the project was hit with a slew of negative reviews from critics in the days that followed.
The project has since left several TV execs at a loss for how the Sussexes are still cashing in on projects for the streaming giant while other beloved shows aren’t getting a chance, sources told In Touch.
“There’s not a lot of sympathy for them,” an insider said of the Sussexes, adding that “among the professionals in the TV business, they see their mostly pointless Netflix shows as taking opportunities away from creators and talent who are TV professionals with legitimately strong ideas.”
The duo, who both served as executive producers on the project, made minimal appearances in the docuseries, with the promotion of the project also underdelivering.
“How much money is too much money to spend on Harry and Meghan? That’s a tricky question, because Netflix has almost unlimited capital and has already thrown tens of millions of dollars at this couple,” the source added.
“The arbitrage for Netflix comes with all the press attention the Sussexes get, especially in England and the US, which are two of Netflix’s biggest markets.”
The insider then added that the negative reception to the couple’s most recent project has put them “in a dangerous spot” because “they still have yet to deliver a rock-solid hit for Netflix that wins over their critics.”
“We’ll see next year how many more chances they really get, but the critics have spoken and nobody is impressed,” the source went on. “If they want to keep making television, they need to tackle a subject matter that’s relevant and they need to make the project actually entertaining.”
“It’s a lot easier said than done, but if they can’t pull that off, it’s only going to marginalize them further from the Hollywood community,” they added.
The Post has reached out to reps for the Sussexes for comment.
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It came after the “Suits” alum, 43, finished filming her upcoming show for Netflix in July.
While details about her new project remain scarce, the series will reportedly be centered around cooking and wellness.
It will be produced by Sony Pictures Television, as well as Markle herself, and will likely collaborate with her impending lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, which has yet to be launched.
It’s unclear if the pair have any other projects in the pipeline for 2025. However, fans are eagerly awaiting the overdue launch of Markle’s lifestyle brand, which has faced a series of trademark issues in recent months.
