Six months after stepping down as working royals, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry signed an exclusive deal with Netflix that was said to be worth about $100 million. In August, the Sussexes extended their agreement with the streamer, but now they’re reportedly getting a lot less money, and it’s just a “first-look deal.” Ratings for season two of Netflix’s With Love, Meghan were much lower than season one, and it’s unclear if there will even be a season three.
It may sound like the Sussexes are struggling with their foray into entertainment. But as Meghan explained during an appearance at Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit in Washington, D.C., this week, this looser, less profitable Netflix deal is actually “such an incredible sign of the strength of our partnership” and — dare she say it? — even a bit Obama-esque (she dares).
“My husband and I were in an overall deal with Netflix; then, not dissimilar to Higher Ground and the Obamas’ deal, once that had come to its term, the extension of it — which was such an incredible sign of the strength of our partnership — was now being in a first-look deal,” the Duchess of Sussex said. “Which is also exciting because it gives us flexibility to go to our partners first, then at the same time, shop content that might not be the right fit for Netflix but has a home somewhere else.”
So will Meghan and Harry’s new and exciting open relationship with Netflix involve more With Love, Meghan or not? When pressed on the show’s future by Fortune editor-in-chief and chief content officer Alyson Shontell, the Duchess noted that there’s a holiday special coming later this year (which we’ve known for months). As for season three, who knows! It’s a “year of learns”! And apparently, transferring things from one bag to a prettier bag and hosting a “kid-friendly tea party” for Mindy Kaling with no actual children in attendance is harder than it looks.
“I think looking at that format — again, it’s a year of learns — so we’re able to say, ‘Eight episodes for two seasons’ — it’s a lot of work,” Meghan said. “And having done Suits for seven years, I remember what goes into a production. I also recognize how much people want content in different sizes. Part of what we’re testing out now is, it’s amazing to sit and watch a show for 30 minutes, but how can I give you a recipe in two minutes? And where can I share that with you? And how that continues to grow As Ever.”
Though the answer is clearly TikTok, it seems this was more of a rhetorical question. Later, when asked directly if she’ll expand her growing Instagram presence to TikTok, she noted she has a “complicated relationship with social media,” and that she and Harry have been advocating for online safety.
Does that mean Meghan will focus instead on putting As Ever products in stores, “Where could we physically buy it, do you think in the next year?” Shontell asked. The Duchess responded:
Well, I think a retail component is so important, especially in growing a business. But also, what I’m really working to convey and my intention with As Ever is getting back to things that are tactile, how we connect with each other, you want to put your hands on it, how does it feel? And you can only convey so much of that, obviously, in videos or in e-commerce.
So I think my intention would be to have really bespoke small retail collaborations, do some interesting ones as well in global territories, and then, of course, as you think about scaling, it’s a brand that’s accessible, but it still has a quality that feels as though it’s “mass-tige.” And so when we think about larger retailers, I think the next couple of years that would make sense.
So Meghan does want to put her runny jams in stores because As Ever is all about getting “back to things that are tactile.” But there are no immediate plans to compete with Chip and Joanna Gaines for floor space in Target. However, that may happen at some vague point in the future? It’s unclear.
Many have questioned Meghan’s ability to host an engaging and informative home-hospitality show, but perhaps she’s just sharing the wrong talents with the public. In this “year of learns,” we’d all be better served by a guide to giving long interviews in which you put an incredibly positive spin on all your stumbles without actually revealing much of anything.