Prince Harry and Meghan’s latest Netflix venture, a polo documentary, has received poor reviews that could jeopardise their deal with the platform, a brand expert has claimed.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s five-part series, released globally this week, has failed to impress critics despite promising to showcase the ‘true depth and spirit’ of the sport.
Brand expert Nick Ede has warned the documentary could be the ‘nail in the coffin’ for their lucrative Netflix partnership.
The series, which primarily focuses on players such as Adolfo Cambiaso and Nacho Figueras, has notably limited screen time for the royal couple themselves.
Prince Harry, 40, served as executive producer alongside Meghan, 43, for the documentary series.
The five-part series centres around the build-up to the polo World Cup in Florida.
The lack of Harry and Meghan’s presence, combined with minimal PR promotion, has raised concerns about the project’s ability to succeed.
Speaking to MailOnline, brand expert Nick Ede expressed concerns about the documentary’s reception.
“The new polo documentary hasn’t received good reviews, and this is another foray into producing from Meghan and Harry,” he said.
Ede warned that the show’s performance in Netflix’s top ten would be crucial.
“It could, like the Invictus documentary, start well due to the public’s fascination with the pair and with polo potentially,” he noted.
However, he suggested it would likely struggle against popular Christmas content.
“With very little airtime, we don’t get to see the pair much and also hardly any PR around the series, this looks like it’s Oh No! Rather than Polo!” Ede added.
Harry and Meghan signed their five-year Netflix deal in 2020 after stepping down as working royals.
The streaming giant’s chief content officer Bela Bajaria revealed in February that the couple have several projects in development.
These include “a couple of unscripted things” and both a film and series, all in very early development stages.
The film project could be linked to their planned £3million adaptation of the novel Meet Me At The Lake.
“We are still waiting for the new food show from Meghan,” Ede noted, expressing concern about the limited buzz around their current projects.
The success of these upcoming ventures may prove crucial for the future of their Netflix partnership.
Questions remain over whether Netflix will renew the deal when it expires next year.
