Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have once again graced the headlines after Spotify announced that the royal pair has signed with them for an exclusive podcast show to be hosted by none other than the Duke and Duchess.
The duo has been incredibly active in the media realm in the past months ever since their Netflix deal was announced. There have been speculations rooting back to as early as July of the Duke and Duchess plans to dabble with podcasting other than producing shows, that is.
Spotify’s press team released the news citing their partnership with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s ‘Archewell Audio’ production company.
‘Archewell Audio’ explains that the deal with Spotify will deliver podcasts that ‘build community through share narratives, experience, and values.’
Furthermore, it was revealed that a special podcast hosted by Harry and Meghan will be released later this month and will feature inspirational guests. However, the complete podcast series will be made available in 2021.
"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,” the royal pair said in a joint statement.
A trailer of ‘Archewell Audio’ is also available to listen to on Spotify. Here the pair can be heard introducing themselves and expressing their excitement regarding the project.
Fans of the Royal Family were not very happy about the pair’s deal struck with the streaming giant. They took on to Twitter to air out their grievances.
One Twitter user mocked Harry and Meghan’s script, adding how the couple wanted privacy by signing a multi-year deal with Spotify.
This is not the first time the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been scrutinized on their commercial ventures. Their Netflix deal got them very negative feedback that they were branded as ‘hypocrites’ for continuing to dabble in media companies despite expressing their desire for privacy.
Although there is no solid number on how much the royal pair got for their deal with Spotify, The Sun reports that Spotify shelled out over $40 million to exclusively sign the duo.
This number is far smaller compared to their deal with Netflix, which apparently cost $150 million. These are all just rumors and it is unlikely that the 37-year-old Prince and 39-year-old ex-actress will disclose their revenue.
Production of their podcast has already begun and is only one of the many prospects the couple’s ‘Archewell Foundation’ will take on in the future.