‘Polo’ Failure Puts Pressure on Meghan Markle and Her Upcoming Netflix Show
The pressure is on for Meghan Markle. Since Polo, the series executive produced by her and Prince Harry, is a “bomb,” a lot is riding on her upcoming Netflix show. As in, it has to be a “hit” to keep the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in good standing. Not just with the streamer but all of Hollywood, too.
‘Polo’ premiered to a lackluster response on Dec. 10
Polo probably won’t be setting records on Netflix like Suits. The show, which features a short cameo by Harry and Meghan, began streaming on Dec. 10, 2024. The response from critics has, in the days since, been lackluster, to say the least.
The Daily Telegraph called Polo a “tedious inside look.” Meanwhile, Guardian called the sport polo “the stupidest, most obnoxious sport known to humanity.” Speaking to The Daily Beast, marketing expert and writer Tony Case said: “The critics have universally slammed the show. Harry and Meghan are box office poison. Of course everyone is running away from it, in every direction, so to as to not pick up the stench of this colossal bomb.”
That apparently includes Harry and Meghan, whose “own lack of engagement with promotional efforts for the show […] suggests even they know it’s a dud,” per the outlet.
Meghan’s show has to be an ‘enormous hit’ for Netflix partnership to continue
With Polo’s poor reception, it now falls to Meghan and her upcoming Netflix show to keep her and Harry’s Netflix partnership going. (The pair inked a five-year deal with the streamer in 2020, which is up in the new year.) As an insider claimed to Daily Mail, the show will have to do extremely well to continue the partnership.
“It’s make or break. People say Netflix are exhausted,” the source said. “It’s so much work with her and, bluntly, the ‘deliverable’ does not seem to be worth it.” Meanwhile, another entertainment executive said, “Her show will have to be an enormous hit to turn around their deal and their reputations in this town.”
Meghan’s Netflix show is about “the joys of cooking, gardening, entertaining, and friendship.” Filming wrapped over the summer. Along with Polo, it’s the latest project for the streamer from Harry, Meghan, and their Archewell Productions.
It comes after Harry & Meghan debuted with much success in December 2022. The docuseries about the couple’s exit from royal life quickly broke records and became a mainstay in Netflix’s top 10 most-watched list.
In the years since no title from the Sussexes has matched the success of Harry & Meghan. Live to Lead (2022) and Heart of Invictus (2023) premiered without much fanfare. Additionally, Meghan’s children’s show, Pearl, never got off the ground.
Despite having bought the movie rights to Carley Fortune’s “Meet Me at the Lake” novel, it hasn’t entered production. For that reason, the movie’s unlikely to drop before Harry and Meghan’s Netflix deal is up for renewal.
Meghan Markle’s Netflix show is expected to premiere after Harry’s 2025 Invictus Games
So, when does Meghan’s Netflix show premiere? The streamer has yet to announce an exact date for when it will be released. However, sources told the outlet the show will drop in February or March 2025 after Harry steps into the spotlight for the Winter Invictus Games.
That means once Harry’s done at the games in Whistler, Canada, which run from Feb. 8-16, 2025, it’ll be Meghan’s turn for the spotlight. Her lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, will reportedly launch at the same time as her Netflix show.
Until then, there are lots more details for the streaming giant to unveil, from the name of Meghan’s show to a first look and official trailer.
