What HAS happened to Meghan and Harry’s £18m Spotify podcast deal? Royal couple have produced NO content in 2021 despite promising shows that would ‘build community through shared experiences and values’
- Archewell Audio was announced with expectations of full series this year
- But the Harry and Meghan fronted show has been completely silent in 2021
- Neither the Royals nor Spotify can confirm if they still have a partnership
Meghan and Harry’s £18million Spotify podcast deal was under scrutiny today – after their expected 2021 Archewell series remained missing in action with the streaming giant refusing to say if and when it will air.
The Royal couple, who inked the lucrative contract last year, have been completely silent on the platform since December 15.
They have only produced 35 minutes of content for their Archewell Audio channel, which was put together with Spotify’s Gimlet Studios.
Neither they nor Spotify responded to questions about the future of the aural endeavor.
But – unlike the rest of its shows – Archewell Audio is notable by its absence on Gimlet’s website.
And Spotify’s press release of December last year now looks to be completely off the mark.
The Royal couple, who inked the lucrative contract last year, have been completely silent on the platform since 2020
Archewell Audio was announced with expectations of full series this year but it never arrived
Archewell appointed Rebecca Sananes as head of audio but there have been no updates.
It had trilled: ‘Archewell Audio will leverage Spotify’s global reach—with 144 million Premium subscribers and 320 million monthly active users—to spotlight powerful and diverse voices and perspectives.
‘Archewell Audio and Spotify’s Gimlet studio will release their first offering; a holiday special hosted by The Duke and Duchess that will feature stories of hope and compassion from inspirational guests in celebration of the new year. In 2021, The Duke and Duchess will produce and host podcasts that build community through shared experiences and values.
‘The first complete series from Archewell Audio and Spotify is expected next year and will be available to stream for free on Spotify.’
In July it appointed Rebecca Sananes as head of audio but there have been no updates.
In June the Sussexes welcomed their second child and were said to be taking some time off.
Vanity Fair reported a source saying they would have five months of paternity leave.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend the 2021 Salute To Freedom Gala
Archewell Audio has been totally silent since its episode last Christmas despite plans for more
Questions for Archewell Audio on Spotify after £18m deal
MailOnline contacted Archewell to try and find out what was happening with their Spotify deal. They did not respond to the following questions:
– Do the Duke and Duchess of Sussex still have an exclusive partnership with Spotify?
– Have the Sussexes recorded any new content for Spotify since December last year?
– Is there going to be another episode of Archewell Audio?
– If there is, when is the new episode going to be released?
– Have the couples’ plans to work with Spotify changed from last December?
– Do the Sussexes still have plans to work with Spotify in the future?
It meant Harry taking time out from his executive position at a Silicon Valley start-up that claims to be worth $1.7billion.
For the couple the time-off also means temporarily stepping back from their multi-million-pound deals with Netflix and Spotify.
Harry told Oprah Winfrey in their bombshell interview he was persuaded to sign when he was ‘literally cut off financially’ from the Royal Family.
Prince Harry is ‘chief impact officer’ at mental health services business BetterUp, where he helps promote an app used by corporate giants including Hilton, Facebook and oil firm Chevron to improve the wellbeing of their staff.
The company’s chief executive Alexi Robichaux has declined to say how much the royal is being paid, although similar roles at other California firms would command six or seven-figure salaries.
Duke and Duchess of Sussex said in a joint statement after signing the deal with Spotify last year: ‘What we love about podcasting is that it reminds all of us to take a moment and to really listen, to connect to one another without distraction.
‘With the challenges of 2020, there has never been a more important time to do so, because when we hear each other, and hear each other’s stories, we are reminded of how interconnected we all are.’
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