Royal Family News
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s Debut Netflix Project Delayed
It has been 16 months since Meghan Markle and Prince Harry announced their partnership with Netflix, but the couple has yet to release their first product for the streaming service.
In comparison, Michelle and Barack Obama launched their first product on Netflix just 13 months after their deal was announced.
The former first lady and U.S. president signed a contract with the streaming platform in May 2018.
Their first documentary, American Factory, produced by the Obamas under their higher ground productions company, premiered at Sundance Film Festival in January 2019, eight months after.
It was then released on Netflix in August that year.
Since then, the Obamas have released two podcast series, the Michelle Obama podcast, debuted in July 2020 while the second, a collaboration between Mr. Obama and singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, was released in April last year.
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The delay in the release of any product by the Sussexes could be due to a number of reasons.
According to a royal expert, Harry and Meghan's initial podcast idea may have been a one-trick pony, and they might have struggled to emulate the success of the Obamas.
The Mail's royal editor Rebecca English suggested that it might have been because of Harry and Meghan's intended focus on worthy subjects.
The public had been expecting to see Harry and Meghan deliver inspiring content involving underrepresented voices, but there may have been a mismatch of expectations.
Rebecca agreed, continuing, it just makes you wonder whether that's a bit of a one-trick pony because, can you keep on doing worthy podcast after worthy podcast?
The Obamas have proven that they can do it, but you've got to ask yourself whether the Sussexes have the same clout as the Obamas.
Spotify may have been more hopeful that the couple would offer an insight into their formal royal lives, rather than promoting worthy causes.
It makes you wonder what Spotify thought they were going to talk about, as opposed to what Harry and Meghan thought they would talk about, she continued.
Last month, it was reported that Spotify may potentially withdraw from its 18 million pound deal with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle due to the lack of popularity of their first podcast.
According to media lawyer Ian Penman, the streaming giant overestimated the couple's popularity after their first and only podcast episode failed to impress.
It would not be an unfair assumption that perhaps their popularity was not as great as maybe they or indeed Spotify initially felt, he said.
He added, it's famously the case in music deals, this goes back decades, that when people talk about a large deal, like Robbie Williams signing a deal for 15 million pounds or something, it does not mean he gets 15 million pounds on day one.
The months passed between the Netflix deal announcement and the release of any product by the Sussexes could be due to a number of reasons.
And Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's initial podcast idea may have been a one-trick pony and they might have struggled to emulate the success of the Obamas, a royal expert has claimed.
Despite the delay, fans are still eagerly anticipating the debut project of the Sussexes on Netflix.
However, it remains to be seen whether the couple can deliver content that will live up to the expectations of the public.
In conclusion, while the Obamas have proven that they can deliver inspiring and worthy content, it remains to be seen whether the Sussexes can follow in their footsteps.
The delay in the release of their first Netflix product may be due to a number of factors, but fans are still hopeful that the couple can deliver content that will make a positive impact on society.