Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were dealt a major blow yesterday after streaming giant Spotify cancelled their contract with the couple. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had signed a £18million ($25million) deal with the company in 2020 but the contract is no more. The Spotify deal had been a surefire way to ensure the royal couple remain relevant and generate sufficient revenue to maintain their lavish lifestyle, without being senior working royals. But now the plug has been pulled, what’s left for them to do?
American media suggest the royal couple failed to meet the productivity benchmark required by Spotify, so they won’t be receiving the full payout.
The couple only produced one 12-episode podcast series during their contract period, which was nearing its three-year anniversary.
Meghan’s award-winning podcast Archetypes was the only thing to emerge on the platform, and though it started off a booming success, interest in the series soon dwindled.
Meanwhile, Harry had yet to release anything with Spotify – so it’s no wonder the company decided to cut its losses and run.
READ MORE: What Meghan’s Archetypes podcast taught us before it was axed by Spotify
Perhaps the streaming giant was disgruntled with the lack of royal drama for which the couple has become so well-known. Why would people tune into Meghan’s podcast aimed at correcting the narratives on women, when there’s a tell-all memoir to read, a Netflix docu-series or juicy television interviews to watch?
The loss of Spotify surely comes as a warning to Meghan and Harry, that they can’t just sign these deals and not follow through with the goods – the entertainment industry isn’t that forgiving.
Netflix and Penguin Random House could well be next if no new content comes to fruition.
Their six-episode docu-series may have been the platform’s second-highest-ranked documentary ever, but they are surely asking the couple the question: What’s next?
The same goes for Harry’s book deal – even if Spare was a chart-topping success – with a second book expected asap.
Harry and Meghan have fully exploited their departure from the Royal Family and their views on the goings on inside the Palace walls, so what is left for them to say?
They need to come up with a new selling point and fast – otherwise their Megxit fairytale will soon come crashing down.
The pair once dreamed of financial independence away from the pressures of royal life, but without any real means of making money, the walls may soon start to crumble.
A new approach is needed if they want to maintain their lavish lifestyle in one of California’s most elite neighbourhoods.
The loss of Spotify also serves as another telling reminder that their royal titles just aren’t enough to keep hold of lucrative brand deals and that interest in the couple is certainly on the decline.