- By now, everyone knows that Meghan and Harry have signed a deal with Netflix.
- The question is, what kind of content will the streaming giant be looking for?
- And more importantly, can Harry and Meghan deliver on the demands?
The hysteria surrounding the deal Prince Harry and Meghan Markle signed with Netflix is still very much the order of the day.
While I’m not entirely sold on the ridiculous cash figures being mentioned by some tabloids, I do congratulate the couple on securing an opportunity.
Because that’s all it is at this point. An opportunity.
As well as the sums being mentioned, many media outlets in Britain and elsewhere are talking as though the couple has cracked the big time.
The opportunity is only the beginning. Now Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have to produce content that will make any investment in them worthwhile for the streaming giant.
What kind of content does Meghan Markle and Prince Harry want to create?
The question that needs answering before we can even begin analyzing the success or failure of this venture for the Hollywood Royals.
At the moment, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are making the kinds of noises you’d expect from the 2020 version of the Sussexes.
In a statement reported by the New York Times, the couple claimed:
Our focus will be on creating content that informs but also gives hope. As new parents, making inspirational family programming is also important to us.
The Times also reported that “they added that Netflix’s “unprecedented reach will help us share impactful content that unlocks action.”
A lot of buzzwords that say nothing, which has been the norm when it comes to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle of late.
Speeches by both have been littered with this kind of inane content, and you have to believe that if their ideas for Netflix content are anything like their speeches, we’ll all be bored to tears before too long.
What of Netflix? What do they see for themselves in this relationship?
The remarks made by Netflix upon announcing the deal with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were very similar to those provided by the couple.
A whole lot of nothing.
In fact, you could pretty much cut and paste the streaming company’s press release after they signed a deal with Barack and Michelle Obama and apply it to the signing of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
The question is, are they on the same page as the Hollywood Royals? Have Netflix agreed in principal to pay top dollar for a collection of grandiose, self-important twaddle?
I’m not a betting woman, but if I were, I’d say Netflix has other ideas that stretch beyond “unlocking action” and “giving hope.”
Hope doesn’t pay the shareholders.
The success of The Crown will have played a considerable part in Meghan Markle and Prince Harry securing this deal
Netflix knows the pressure is on. Disney+, Apple, and even NBC are all angling for a share of their streaming audience.
The Crown’s success, which Netflix CEO Reed Hastings considered “a bargain” at $125 million, has seen the company invest heavily in other British TV productions such as Bodyguard, The Last Kingdom, and Peaky Blinders.
But the crown jewel, if you’ll pardon the pun, in the Netflix British lineup is undoubtedly The Crown.
Watch the trailer for The Crown, one of Netflix’ most successful shows:
Harry and Meghan are incredibly naive if they think Netflix is investing in them, rather than their royal titles
Jane Moore recently summed up the reasoning behind the Netflix deal perfectly when she said:
If they were plain old Harry Windsor and Meghan Markle of Acacia Avenue, they wouldn’t get past reception at the powerful streaming service, let alone to the carpeted corridors where the big deals are done. But the new Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and his beautiful former Suits actress wife are marketable solely because of their close connection to not only Diana but that most elusive of world-famous stars — The Queen.
I agree. No one is paying Meghan Markle or Prince Harry millions of dollars to regurgitate and repackage the forgettable nonsense they’ve been spouting on Zoom calls during the lockdown.
With big money comes significant demands, and this is a couple that has shown themselves to have extremely thin skin when it comes to criticism.
They don’t react well under pressure, more likely to fold like the ridiculous privacy screen they had erected outside Tyler Perry’s mansion during their freeloading days than show any real staying power.
Time will tell how successful Prince Harry and Meghan Markle can be, but I have a feeling there will be a few tantrums and foot-stamping episodes before anyone gets the chance to hit play on a Malibu Meg production.
Disclaimer: The opinions in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of CCN.com.
