Meghan Markle and Prince Harry‘s latest series could be the “nail in the coffin” for the couple’s £80 million Netflix deal, a brand expert has said.
Harry and Meghan are executive producers of the five-episode series about polo, which was shot primarily at the US Open Polo Championship in Wellington, Florida.
The Sussexes, who are executive producers of the series that aired this week, vowed that Polo would shine a light on the “depth” and “spirit” of the elitist sport.
But the programmes have failed to impress fans or critics, with reviews noting its “unintentionally hilarious” polo profile, “bafflingly little” presence of Harry, and his making a show only the Duke would want to watch.
Brand and culture expert, Nick Ede, noted Polo hasn’t garnered good reviews and marks another “foray” into production from the Sussexes.
He said there may be some initial interest due to public interest in Harry and Meghan, but would “more than likely” do badly against blockbusters and Christmas films.
Mr Ede told the Daily Mail: “This could potentially be a nail in the coffin for their deal with the streaming giant who now use algorithms to make sure their programming is perfect for their subscribers.”
Harry and Meghan don’t appear in the series until episode five, which was filmed in April at the Royal Salute Polo Challenge, staged in aid of Sentebale in Florida. The pair are shown sharing a kiss on the podium.
The Duke appears in the opening credits and again without Meghan in episode four, when he is seen chatting with other polo players.
The series from Harry and Meghan’s Archewell Productions is their fourth output with Netflix as part of their multi-million-pound deal with the streaming giant.
It follows elite global players on and off the field, with the “sexy” sport billed in the trailer as showcasing “dirty, sweaty boys…riding”.
The documentary is the Sussexes’ first since Heart Of Invictus, which aired about 16 months ago and followed a group of service members on their road to the Invictus Games, the Paralympic-style sporting competition Harry set up in 2014 for injured and sick military personnel and veterans.
It followed Live To Lead, which is about leaders who have dedicated themselves to social justice, and before that, the couple’s controversial six-part Harry & Meghan docu-series.
In that show, the Duke and Duchess made a series of bombshell claims about their troubled life in the Royal Family, accusing Kensington Palace of lying to protect Prince William and King Charles of lying at the Sandringham summit called to decide the Sussexes’ future outside The Firm.
Meghan is producing another nonfiction series for Netflix on “the joys of cooking, gardening, entertaining, and friendship.”
