Meghan Markle and Prince Harry may be in a celebratory mood as the couple signs an extension with the streaming giant. The Sussexes new deal is believed to be worth less than the initial contract and is described as a “first-look” arrangement that gives Netflix the first right of refusal on Sussex projects. A PR expert has weighed in on their new deal and suggested their future with Netflix hangs in the balance if they fail to deliver.
In 2020, the Sussexes signed a $100 million deal with the streaming platform after stepping down from their working royal roles. This led to several projects, including the hugely successful documentary Harry & Meghan, a polo show, and, most recently, Meghan’s cooking series With Love, Meghan. But according to expert Edward Coram-James, who is the CEO of Go Up, has suggested both Harry and Meghan’s joint brand present a “problem” and is a “conflict of interest”.
Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, he said: “Netflix deals fluctuate all the time, and the fact that their first projects generated headlines and viewership shows they still have pull. The real issue is managing expectations. Their brand comes with huge anticipation, so when returns don’t match the hype, it’s easy for their critics to pounce.”
Edward continued: “The biggest challenge for Meghan, even solo, is the public perception of her and Harry as a package deal. The joint brand is the problem.
You can’t separate Harry from the military and his passion projects, and you can’t separate Meghan from Hollywood and her passion projects. When they are together, it’s a conflict of interest that confuses the public and provides an easy target for criticism.”
He advised the pair need to move away from their joint efforts and focus primarily on their solo projects.
“From a PR standpoint, keeping their brands separate, as they have been doing lately, creates clearer storylines for audiences,” he explained. “It allows them to move away from the royal drama narrative and build legacies based on their work with veterans (Harry) and their entrepreneurial/philanthropic ventures (Meghan).
If they succeed with this new, more focused approach, they can finally shake the ‘expensive failure’ label.”
According to insiders, Netflix executives do not believe they got their money’s worth from the Sussexes and are seemingly embarrassed to reveal this detail, reportedly branding the deal an “expensive failure”.
