Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are ending their podcast deal with Spotify after delivering 12 episodes of Markle’s Archetypes. The news was announced in a joint statement between the streaming service and Archewell Audio, the couple’s podcast production company, on Thursday night.
“Spotify and Archewell Audio have mutually agreed to part ways and are proud of the series we made together,” the statement confirmed.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex signed a lucrative deal with Spotify in late 2020 to host and produce podcasts, estimated to be worth around $20 million. Archetypes debuted in August of 2022 and featured appearances by Serena Williams, Mariah Carey, Paris Hilton, Mindy Kaling, Constance Wu, and Trevor Noah.
According to Variety, the dissolution of the deal occurred after Prince Harry and Markle decided to move away from exclusive Spotify distribution with the intention of finding a new home for their audio projects. Quoting a source, the outlet added that Spotify ultimately expected more content from Archewell Audio than just one podcast.
The Wall Street Journal added that the couple will likely be required to return part of the payment sum as they haven’t “met the productivity benchmarks required to receive the full payout from the deal.”
“The team behind Archetypes remain proud of the podcast they created at Spotify,” a representative for WME, the talent agency that recently signed Markle, told the Journal. “Meghan is continuing to develop more content for the Archetypes audience on another platform.”
Last December, Archetypes won the top podcast award at the People’s Choice Awards in Los Angeles.
“I loved digging my hands into the process, sitting up late at night in bed, working on the writing and creative,” Markle wrote on the Archewell website in response to the award. “And I loved digging deep into meaningful conversation with my diverse and inspiring guests, laughing and learning with them. It has been such a labour of love.”
Earlier this month, Spotify laid off 200 people and announced a revamped approach to podcasting.
After stepping back from the British royal family in 2020, the Sussexes have signed deals with both Spotify and Netflix, which released a documentary series about the couple titled “Harry & Meghan.” Prince Harry also released a drama-filled memoir, Spare, earlier this year.