Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Spotify partnership termination may reflect their perceived difficulty as business partners, according to Kinsey Schofield, the host of royal podcast "To Di For Daily."
Schofield offered her insights during a discussion with GB News host Patrick Christys on the Sussexes' recently announced decision to end their approximately $20 million Spotify deal. She suggested that this instance might signal caution to companies and brands considering collaborations with the couple in the future. These assertions, however, could not be independently confirmed by International Business Times.
"We have witnessed Harry and Meghan asserting that their departures from deals were mutual or on their terms. This might cause hesitation for potential future collaborators," Schofield asserted.
She highlighted the limited content produced by the couple since signing the Spotify contract in 2020, which included just 12 episodes of Meghan's "Archetypes" podcast and a single holiday special.
"This situation proves they can be challenging partners," Schofield argued, citing a recent BBC report that indicated the royal pair exerted strong control over a Netflix documentary’s content. "Their need for control and the challenges they pose could be reasons behind the scarce content over the years."
Christys attributed the limited content production over the years to the couple's "laziness", quipping that he would be willing to do more for the hefty $20 million payout.
Schofield pointed out that the original plan included Prince Harry co-hosting the podcast with Markle, a commitment limited to a single holiday special. She also criticized the inconsistency in Markle's podcast direction.
"When they initially partnered with Spotify, the idea was for both Harry and Meghan to host. However, we only got a Christmas special featuring Tyler Perry and Elton John," she noted. "Then Meghan went solo, aiming to rebrand herself. Despite the initial claim of focusing on ordinary people making a difference, we got episodes featuring celebrities like Paris Hilton and Serena Williams."
Despite the initial success of Markle's "Archetypes", Spotify decided not to renew it for another season. The Wall Street Journal quoted unnamed sources revealing that the Sussexes didn’t fulfill productivity benchmarks necessary for the full payout of their reported $20 million deal.
The Spotify partnership was signed in late 2020, shortly after the couple stepped back from their senior royal duties and moved to California. They aimed to produce uplifting content that highlighted diverse voices through their production company Archewell Audio.
While Markle's "Archetypes" initially topped the podcast charts in several countries, the couple has previously faced allegations of being challenging to work with. The Times, citing anonymous sources, reported in 2021 that the couple's disputes almost led their entire staff to resign.
While Markle refuted the allegations as a "calculated smear campaign", Buckingham Palace's investigation into the alleged bullying claims did not publish the findings.