The multi-year agreement between Prince Harry and his wife Meghan to develop podcasts with streaming giant Spotify has terminated with only one series produced.
The relationship with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex was revealed by the Swedish company in late 2020 after they stepped away from royal obligations and began to create fresh careers in California. According to media reports, it was valued at up to $20 million or more. Meghan’s “Archetypes” podcast, touted on Spotify as one where “we investigate, dissect, and subvert the labels that try to hold women back,” featured several notable people in its 12 episodes, including Mariah Carey and Serena Williams.
In March, the duchess was named the best Entertainment Podcast Host at the Gracie Awards. However, Spotify and the royal couple’s company announced in a joint statement that their contract to produce future series had been dissolved. According to the statement, Spotify and Archewell Audio have peacefully opted to split ways and are proud of the series they created together.
According to the Wall Street Journal, both of them did not meet the productivity goals required to get the entire reimbursement from the deal, the terms of which were not made public when it was disclosed. The podcast was one of several lucrative contracts the couple signed after relocating to the United States. They also produced a Netflix documentary, and Harry’s memoir “Spare,” in which he described his dispute with his father, King Charles, and the rest of his family, which shattered sales records earlier this year. The prince is also involved in a number of high-profile arbitration against the British tabloid press, and last month became the first royal to give evidence in 130 years.
