Meghan Markle’s Netflix show fails to impress, raising questions over £85m deal

Meghan Markle’s latest venture with Netflix, With Love, Meghan, is reportedly leaving the streaming giant regretting its multi-million-dollar partnership with the Duchess of Sussex.

According to a well-placed source, the deal—worth approximately £85 million ($110 million)—has yet to yield the expected returns, both critically and commercially.

The source revealed that despite Netflix’s efforts to present With Love, Meghan as a success, the reality tells a different story.

“It doesn’t matter how much Netflix tries to spin this. With Love, Meghan has not been a success either critically or commercially. It has been savaged by critics worldwide. While there have been a few lukewarm reviews, in general, it’s been poorly received,” they explained.

In an attempt to counter the negative reception, Meghan Markle and Netflix’s public relations team initially promoted the show’s entry into the platform’s Top 10 rankings. However, it quickly dropped out, failing to maintain traction.

The source compared its performance to the SAG Awards, which aired in February and has consistently remained in Netflix’s Global Top 10—unlike Meghan’s show, which vanished from the rankings shortly after its debut.

The insider also highlighted a major financial concern for Netflix: the substantial investment made in the Sussexes without significant returns.

 “The royal duo was paid over $110 million (£85.2 million), and so far, they’ve produced only three shows, each lasting a single season, totaling 18 episodes. That means each episode has cost Netflix roughly $6 million (£4.6 million)—an unsustainable figure.”

They further noted that in typical productions, $6 million (£4.6 million) is expected to cover an entire season, not just one episode. Given the high costs and underwhelming performance, Netflix now faces a difficult decision: continue investing in content from Meghan and Harry or cut their losses altogether.

While the couple’s past projects, including Harry & Meghan and Live to Lead, attracted mixed reactions, the underwhelming reception of With Love, Meghan has intensified scrutiny over whether their lucrative deal with Netflix will continue or face an early end.