It’s a new era for the Sussexes. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle just signed a new deal with Netflix, but it isn’t as lucrative as the public hoped.
The streaming giant announced that it’s furthering their collaboration with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s company Archewell Productions on August 11, 2025. “We’re proud to extend our partnership with Netflix and expand our work together to include the As Ever brand,” Meghan said in a statement. “My husband and I feel inspired by our partners who work closely with us and our Archewell Productions team to create thoughtful content across genres that resonates globally, and celebrates our shared vision.”
However, some sources are saying that their deal isn’t quite as ideal as it was before.
How much did Netflix pay Prince Harry & Meghan Markle for their new deal?
While the exact number of how much Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Netflix deal hasn’t been disclosed, a source told Page Six that “it’s not much.” They added, “It’s no risk for Netflix but saves them both reputationally.”
Entertainment editor Peter Ford talked about further details of the new deal. “It’s a brand new arrangement, a brand new association,” he said on Australia’s The Morning Show (via Express UK). “It’s what we call a ‘first look deal’ or a ‘first refusal deal’, so what it basically means is if they have an idea that they want to get off the ground, they go to Netflix, they have to go to Netflix first, that’s why its called the ‘first option deal’.”
He added that Netflix is trying to tighten up their relationship after several setbacks. “Netflix, at the time, were throwing money around with gay abandon. They seemed like a hot couple to sign on to get them on board – even though they have no television production experience whatsoever. So they got an incredible deal. This new deal would be a fraction of that, a fraction.”
Meghan Markle’s lifestyle brand As Ever is also featured in her show With Love, Meghan and exhibits her $28 orange blossom honey and a $14 apricot spread. Netflix manufactures some of those products through its consumer product group and shares in the revenue generated.
A major reason why the new brand deal is seen as “downgrade” was because of alleged disagreements between Netflix and Prince Harry. Harry’s memoir Spare was released on Jan. 10, two weeks after the last episode of their documentary series Harry & Meghan. The move allegedly upset some Netflix executives because the book covered some of the same ground as the series, and “undercutting” the exclusive nature of the series.
One source told the Daily Mail that Netflix sees its original deal as an “expensive failure.” An animated series created by the production company Pearl, was canceled in 2022. An adaptation of Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune was announced in 2023, but no writer or director was attached to the project.
However, an Archewell spokeswoman, Meredith K. Maines, and a Netflix spokeswoman, Emily Feingold, both told the New York Times there was no tension between the two companies, calling the idea false.
How much was Prince Harry & Meghan Markle’s original Netflix deal?
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry signed a $100 million deal with Netflix in 2020. The couple has released five projects through Archewell Productions: Harry & Meghan, Heart of Invictus, Polo, Live to Lead, and With Love, Meghan.
The former deal featured projects that Meghan and Harry care about and highlighted issues that are relevant to their nonprofit, Archewell. “Our lives, both independent of each other, and as a couple have allowed us to understand the power of the human spirit: of courage, resilience, and the need for connection,” the couple said in a statement at the time.
