Unfortunately, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will not be adding an Emmy to their accolades, and this setback is expected to result in a substantial financial loss running into millions. Their six-part Netflix documentary, titled "Harry and Meghan," failed to secure an Emmy in the documentary or non-fiction category.
The controversial series has seen the couple making a series of allegations against senior members of the royal family, including Prince William and King Charles. It also featured first-hand accounts from close friends and family, revealing some of the couple's most challenging moments over the past years.
Despite the controversy, the series broke Netflix viewing records, attracting an impressive 4.5 million viewers during its first week. Prior to the debut of the series, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex signed a lucrative multi-year contract worth £40 million with the streaming service. Additionally, there were expectations of potential earnings between £250 million ($318 million) and £300 million ($381 million) in future exclusive deals if they continued to receive Emmy recognition.
Mark Boardman, an entertainment editor at Mark Meets, exclusively revealed to the Daily Express U.S in June how the Sussexes could have secured such a lucrative amount. However, he pointed out that there was a significant catch. According to him, the panel responsible for Emmy nominations would be well-acquainted with each potential nominee. While he initially indicated that the couple had a good chance of being nominated, the outcome was not as anticipated.
Nonetheless, Mark expressed confidence in the couple's future Emmy prospects, stating that there was still a possibility of winning. He believed the attention generated by an Emmy nomination would have given the prestigious awards ceremony significant press coverage. Mark confirmed that Harry and Meghan's documentary series was the most popular within its category, making them strong contenders.
Mark also affirmed that if the couple continued to win Emmys, they could secure an astounding amount that could potentially bring them hundreds of millions of dollars through another exclusive deal with Netflix. However, in order to maintain their value to the streaming platform, they would have to produce a year's worth of content in the form of reality-based documentaries that explore people and their lives.
The entertainment expert further speculated that Netflix would be unwilling to drop the couple anytime soon, considering the value they bring. This development follows the news of Prince Harry and Meghan terminating their exclusive podcast deal with Spotify, which was reportedly worth $20 million. The Wall Street Journal reported that Spotify would not be renewing Meghan's interview series called "The Archewell Audio," which aired its first season from August to November 2022.
In a joint statement, the Archewell Audio team and Spotify confirmed the end of their partnership. They expressed mutual agreement on parting ways and expressed pride in the series they had created together.
