In July 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrived in the United States riding a wave of goodwill from media companies eager to partner with the couple. Within months,Netflix reportedly pledged £60 million and Spotify about £15 million for exclusive content. But according to Channel 5's documentary Harry & Meghan: Has America Had Enough?, the 'tide has turned' as a series of missteps have led even once-enthusiastic platforms to pull back or cancel deals , leaving the Sussexes' brand in a precarious position.

Why the £60 million Netflix gamble left both sides frustrated

Netflix's massive investment in the Sussexes promised intimate access to their post-royal lives. Yet, as the documentary notes, the couple first gave Oprah Winfrey the headline-making interview in 2021 and released Harry's memoir Spare with exclusive details before Netflix could air its own projects. Journalist Jack Royston told the programme that 'Netflix were the least beneficial. Oprah got the first bite of the cherry, and Spare had loads of exclusive materials that hadn't been told.' The streaming giant later cancelled Meghan's lifestyle show With Love, Meghan after two seasons, and the Duchess formally split from Netflix in March 2025, according to insiders who say she felt the platform was too 'cautious'.

The South Park parody that crystallised a narrative shift

A key turning point identified in the documentary was the February 2023 episode of South Park titled 'The World Wide Privacy Tour', which ridiculed the couple's demands for privacy while promoting Harry's memoir. Journalist Emma Loffhagen explained: 'In America, that was perhaps the first time that that perception had been broadcast in that way.. It's a sign that the tide was turning,and that scathing tone would become more popular.' The episode featured a cartoon prince and princess carrying 'Respect Our Privacy' banners while shouting at passers-by, a lampoon that resonated widely and marked a departure from the media's earlier protective stance.

Spotify's $20 million deal that fizzled after one season

Spotify's partnership with Archewell Audio, signed in late 2020 for a reported $20 million (£15 million), produced only Meghan's podcast Archetypes—which lasted a single season before the streaming giant axed the deal in June 2023. At launch, Spotify executive Dawn Ostroff had haiiled 'the power of their voices' and their 'appreciation for the potential of audio storytelling.' But insiders later claimed the couple did not meet the productivity benchmarks required for the full payout,as the documentary reports . the abrupt end left a lingering question about whether the Sussexes can deliver content on schedule—a question that now dogs their remaining projects.

What remains unknown about the couple's independent future

As Meghan takes 'complete control' of her lifestyle brand As Ever, and Harry continues his philanthropic work, the documentary leaves several points unaddressed. The source does not reveal whether any major new media deals are in the pipeline, or if the couple will pivot entirely to direct-to-consumer ventures via their own platforms. It also does not quote the Sussexes themselves or their representatives in response to the criticism, leaving one side of the story unreported. How the couple plans to rebuild credibility with an industry that once saw them as a goldmine remains the central open question of this saga.