A source at Netflix recently shared some insights about the performance of Meghan Markle’s new series, With Love, Megan. According to the source, “We’re thrilled with the viewer engagement for With Love, Megan. The series has outperformed our expectations and consistently draws in a diverse audience eager to hear Meghan’s takes on lifestyle and cooking.”
At first glance, this might sound like great news. But here’s the twist: the source also revealed that a significant portion of the viewership appears to be “hate-watching” the show. “Interestingly, while we anticipated a strong response from Meghan’s fans, we also noticed a significant viewership that seems to engage in what might be called hate-watching. This group, though critical, has undoubtedly contributed to the show’s high engagement and visibility since its debut.”
Let’s be clear—this isn’t good. As I’ve said before, hate-watching only fuels the metrics Netflix cares about: views and engagement. Even if you’re tuning in for just two minutes or a few episodes out of curiosity, you’re still adding to the numbers. And that’s exactly what Meghan and Netflix were counting on.
I’m not happy about this, and here’s why. Last week, we discussed how both Meghan and Netflix were banking on this kind of engagement. I can confirm this because I saw it firsthand on social media. People were posting screenshots and clips from the show, sharing their thoughts—many of which were negative. While some might say, “I didn’t hate-watch,” it seems a lot of others did.
The Netflix source added, “The response to With Love, Megan has been incredibly stimulating. It has sparked a wide range of conversations across various platforms, from social media to traditional media. Most of it is negative, but the negativity doesn’t count when it comes to our services. We only care about views and engagement.”
Let that sink in. Whether the feedback is positive or negative, Netflix only cares about one thing: people are watching. And that’s frustrating.
I hope this report is wrong. I hope people didn’t fall into the trap of hate-watching. But if the numbers are any indication, it seems like many did. So, here’s a reminder: if you don’t want to support something, don’t engage with it—not even for a minute.
