Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who have recently released their polo documentary, are said to be in trouble.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who signed a five year deal with Netflix in 2020, have received poor reviews on their new venture. The unexpected result could jeopardise the couple’s deal with the platform.
Meghan and Harry’s five-part series, released globally this week, has failed to produce the desired result as it could not impress critics despite promising to showcase the ‘true depth and spirit’ of the sport.
Brand expert Nick Ede has warned the documentary could be the ‘nail in the coffin’ for their lucrative partnership with the streaming network.
Speaking to MailOnline, the expert expressed concerns about the documentary’s reception.
“The new polo documentary hasn’t received good reviews, and this is another foray into producing from Meghan and Harry,” he said.
The series, which primarily focuses on players such as Adolfo Cambiaso and Nacho Figueras, has notably limited screen time for the royal couple themselves.
Harry served as executive producer alongside Meghan for the documentary series. The lack of couple’s presence, combined with minimal PR promotion, has raised concerns about the project’s ability to succeed.
Ede warned that the show’s performance in Netflix’s top ten would be crucial for their future with the network.
“It could, like the Invictus documentary, start well due to the public’s fascination with the pair and with polo potentially,” he noted.
However, he suggested it would likely struggle against popular Christmas content. With very little airtime, we don’t get to see the pair much and also hardly any PR around the series, this looks like it’s Oh No! Rather than Polo!”
Harry and Meghan signed their five-year Netflix deal in 2020 after stepping down as working royals.
“We are still waiting for the new food show from Meghan,” Ede noted, expressing concern about the limited buzz around their current projects.
The expert links the success of the couple’s ventures may prove crucial for the future of their Netflix partnership as there are still speculations whether the network will renew the deal when it expires next year.
