Netflix is apparently balking at paying Meghan Markle and Prince Harry more money without the couple supplying more content besides their 2022 documentary. However, Markle’s old content seems to be doing just fine on the streamer.
Netflix recently reported its Global Top 10 for Television for the week of June 19–June 25, and the first season of Markle’s series Suits ranks at a very respectable number 5.
The first season of the American legal drama aired on USA in 2011, and the show lasted nine full seasons before ending in 2019. Markle starred as ambitious paralegal-turned-lawyer Rachel Zane, and she stuck with the show for seven seasons before stepping away to marry one of the most famous guys on the planet.
Although Markle appeared in several projects before Suits, including Get Him to the Greek, Remember Me, and Horrible Bosses, the USA series certainly helped her break into the zeitgeist — which was also aided by her dating, you know, the Duke of Sussex.
Recently, news spread that Netflix has only paid Markle and Prince Harry half of the $103 million agreed upon in a contract that launched their self-produced documentary, Harry & Meghan. The doc netted 2.4 million views on the day of its premiere, so it was unquestionably a success for the streamer.
Yet, sources say the contract stipulates that the duo must produce additional “content of real interest.” So far, Harry has created another series titled Heart of Invictus that is set to release in August. However, Markle’s animated series, Pearl, was recently nixed by Netflix to cut costs.
We’re reasonably sure that Netflix isn’t going to consider old episodes of Suits as qualifying content, so the power couple better get brainstorming.