‘The Mood In The Building Is We’re Done.’ What Really Happened With Meghan Markle And Prince Harry’s Netflix Deal?

Sources reported last July that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s deal had broken down, with both sides walking away from negotiations. However, it was later said that talks were still ongoing, though now it seems those “new deal talks” may not have been as solid as they once appeared. For a deal that once felt like a major Hollywood power move, the couple’s partnership with Netflix could be done, heading toward a very different ending than most had expected. So what really happened with their Netflix Deal?

In 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex signed an overall deal with Netflix, with big plans to build a content empire through Archewell Productions. But years later, after a mix of early success, stalled projects, and shifting priorities, the relationship appears to be cooling off in a big way. According to a new report from Variety, the situation behind the scenes has been far more complicated than it looked from the outside. According to one insider:

And the timing of that report is hard to ignore. Just days earlier, it was revealed that Netflix is stepping away from Meghan’s lifestyle brand, As Ever, a move that only fueled speculation about where things stand between the streamer and the Sussexes.

One of the most striking takeaways from the report is just how much the internal sentiment at Netflix may have shifted. An insider pointed to growing frustration over both the output and the working relationship. While Netflix publicly maintains that it still values its partnership with Meghan and Harry, multiple sources suggested that enthusiasm behind the scenes has waned.

Part of that reportedly comes down to results. After the massive success of the Harry & Meghan docuseries, follow-up projects haven’t generated the same level of impact. Meghan’s lifestyle series, With Love, Meghan, performed modestly, but not enough to cement a clear path forward, especially as the streamer experimented with branching into consumer products tied to the show.

That experiment now appears to be over. Netflix’s decision to step back from the As Ever brand seems to point toward a different strategy, and possibly a broader reset in how the company views its partnership with the couple. There have also been reported challenges behind the scenes, including communication issues and creative differences. However, both Netflix and the Sussexes' representatives have pushed back on some of those claims.

When Netflix first signed Meghan and Harry, expectations were massive, with plans to give fans of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex new ways to follow their lives through a Netflix subscription. The deal, reportedly worth tens of millions, was built around producing a wide range of content, from documentaries to scripted series. Early on, that vision seemed to be working. Harry & Meghan, Netflix’s six-part documentary, became a major hit, delivering strong viewership and proving there was a clear audience for their story. But sustaining that momentum has proven challenging.

Several planned projects never materialized, particularly on the scripted side, and Archewell’s focus gradually shifted. Over time, Meghan’s brand and lifestyle content took center stage, with Netflix even helping to launch and support As Ever as part of that evolution. Now, that phase appears to be winding down as well.

The couple did renegotiate their deal into a first-look agreement, a move that’s not uncommon in Hollywood but often signals a change in scope. Instead of a fully exclusive partnership, it gives both sides more flexibility and, in this case, may reflect a cooling relationship.

So, does this signal the end of the streamer's relationship with the royals? That’s still unclear. There are reportedly a few projects still in development, and Netflix continues to support Meghan and Harry as creative partners publicly. But the overall direction feels different from what it did just a few years ago.

The combination of fewer releases, shifting priorities, and now Netflix stepping back from Meghan’s brand suggests that the original vision for the partnership has changed significantly. Whether that means a quiet phase, a full reset, or the eventual end of the deal remains to be seen.