logo
Why Harry and Meghan's new Netflix deal is a ‘downgrade'

Why Harry and Meghan's new Netflix deal is a ‘downgrade'

Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan have signed a new 'multi-year, first-look deal for film and television projects' with Netflix, the couple has announced.
Five years ago, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex secured a lucrative contract,
thought to be worth more than US$100 million , with the streaming giant after quitting as senior working royals in 2020.
The first-look deal, which means Netflix will have the first option on Harry and Meghan's projects, was described by the Sussexes as 'extending their creative partnership'.
But PR and crisis expert Mark Borkowski described it as a 'downgrade' and suggested Netflix was 'pivoting away' from Harry and Meghan.
Harry and Meghan in Germany in 2022. Photo: dpa
Borkowski said the deal was a long way from the jackpot figure of their original contract.
'I think Netflix has done a very neat job of pivoting away from two very expensive people who didn't deliver, and they've taken that deal off the table, and they've given them a modest one,' he said.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

How two contrasting cities tell the German story
How two contrasting cities tell the German story

South China Morning Post

time11 hours ago

  • South China Morning Post

How two contrasting cities tell the German story

You're going to Chemnitz?' say my German friends in surprise. 'Why?' They are even more astonished to hear that this Saxony city is a 2025 European Capital of Culture . If a low profile German town is to be one of the two or three European Union cities chosen each year for this honour, surely it should be somewhere like well-preserved Rothenburg ob der Tauber, in Bavaria . World War II gave that jigsaw-puzzle-pretty city a relatively gentle cuffing, whereas it flattened industrial Chemnitz. Rothenburg ob der Tauber, in the south of Germany, is a well-preserved warren of medieval housing surrounded by a city wall with varied gate towers, where every turn on a random walk brings new pleasures. Photo: Peter Neville-Hadley But, as the promotional team in the converted factory now functioning as Chemnitz's reception centre explains, the point of the programme is not to give further profile to either the pretty or the pretty successful, but to promote the diversity of European culture, especially that which is undeservedly less well-known. All the more urgent for a city that has come to be known in recent years for anti-immigrant protests and some of Germany's staunchest support for the far-right Alternative für Deutschland party. And despite its pre-reunification history as the decaying East German state's Karl-Marx-Stadt, a hard-to-love centre for technology that lagged ever further behind the West, Chemnitz turns out to have no shortage of culture of its own to present. The slogan of Chemnitz's vast programme of cultural events for 2025, with visiting orchestras, art exhibitions, a bike race and much else still to come, is 'C the Unseen', to be read both as an admission that the city remains little known and an exhortation to discover what's been missed. Chemnitz's early 20th century industrialisation did not come without elegance, and this century-old former factory is now that Saxony city's Industrial Museum. Photo: Peter Neville-Hadley

Revived Silk Route allows US to steam ahead of China, Russia in South Caucasus
Revived Silk Route allows US to steam ahead of China, Russia in South Caucasus

South China Morning Post

time14 hours ago

  • South China Morning Post

Revived Silk Route allows US to steam ahead of China, Russia in South Caucasus

The shortest Silk Route between China and Europe is set to reopen for the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union, following Friday's agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan to end the conflict that had been blocking the way. Shoehorned last minute into negotiations by Azerbaijan's close ally Turkey , the US took on the role of security guarantor for Armenia in return for a lease to develop and operate the so-called Zangezur Corridor, a route linking Azerbaijan to its Karabakh enclave via a strip of Armenian territory bordering Iran. Dubbed the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, the proposed project represents the first major US involvement in the South Caucasus since a 1994 contract with an international consortium that set Azerbaijan on the path to becoming a major oil and gas exporter – via pipelines through Turkey, rather than Iran or Russia US President Donald Trump (centre) is flanked by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan (right) and Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev at the peace signing ceremony in the White House on Friday. Photo: AP Briefing journalists, a White House official claimed 'the losers here are China, Russia and Iran'. Eurasia experts, however, said that the deal was not viewed in such binary terms by Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Style Edit: Rolex SailGP Championship prizes sustainability and inclusivity as well as speed
Style Edit: Rolex SailGP Championship prizes sustainability and inclusivity as well as speed

South China Morning Post

time16 hours ago

  • South China Morning Post

Style Edit: Rolex SailGP Championship prizes sustainability and inclusivity as well as speed

For almost 70 years, Rolex has maintained close ties with the world of yachting, supporting the most prestigious yacht clubs across the globe. But its connection runs deeper than ceremonial partnerships. It's a relationship built on shared values – precision, performance and pushing the limits. Nowhere is this more visible than in the Rolex SailGP Championship, a high-octane, hi-tech regatta where national teams battle it out on identical foiling catamarans at jaw-dropping speeds, often within metres of each other. The Germany SailGP team rounds the mark marginally ahead of Denmark SailGP, with the French, British, New Zealand and Spanish teams in pursuit during a practice session ahead of the KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix in Sydney, in February. Photo: Handout At its core, SailGP is a study in controlled intensity. Competing on identical F50 foiling catamarans capable of reaching speeds as high as 100km/h, the world's top sailors are pushed to their limits in a setting that leaves no room for error – or ego. In a rare move for elite sport, SailGP embraces open data sharing, allowing every team to analyse and respond to its competitors' strategies. 'Everyone is starting from scratch, and we all see this as a chance to innovate and adapt faster than the competition,' says Rolex Testimonee and Australia SailGP CEO Tom Slingsby. Advertisement The Australia SailGP team, France SailGP, Canada NorthStar SailGP, Spain SailGP and New Zealand SailGP practise ahead of the KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix. Photo: Handout Yet SailGP's ambition extends beyond the water. Through initiatives such as the Impact League, teams are rewarded not just for podium finishes, but for their commitment to environmental responsibility and inclusivity, from reducing emissions and using clean energy to championing diversity within their teams. Athletes are incentivised to treat performance and progress as equal goals. For Brazil's Martine Grael – a two-time Olympic gold medallist and the league's first female driver – this dual mandate is compelling. 'I've been hugely impacted by how much nature has been affected by climate change, so it is important that I'm able to work towards reversing this damage,' she says. Martine Grael, driver of the Mubadala Brazil SailGP team, at the KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix. Photo: Handout Rolex's presence in the championship is a reflection of its long-standing philosophy: that excellence is not defined solely by results, but by the integrity of the path taken. This is echoed in the efforts of Hannah Mills and Sir Ben Ainslie, co-founders of Athena Pathway, a programme designed to create new opportunities for women and young talent within sailing and the marine industry. Hannah Mills, strategist for the Emirates Great Britain SailGP team, springs into action at the KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix. Photo: Handout By supporting the Rolex SailGP Championship, Rolex reinforces its belief in long-term vision, human potential and the quiet power of perseverance. And in doing so, it helps shape a version of the sport that honours the past, engages with the present and sails confidently into the future.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store