I have such clear memories of the British media reaction to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex signing a deal with Netflix in 2020. The British media was scared, enraged, shocked, appalled, and amazed. But one of the funniest talking points was always “British people don’t even watch Netflix!” They tried to make it sound like no one in Britain subscribed to Netflix. That Netflix was some kind of niche, America-only streamer and that British people wouldn’t have to watch any Sussex content on Netflix. Crash-cut to late 2022, when the Harry & Meghan docuseries debuted with crazy streaming numbers, and that docuseries alone caused a surge in subscriptions globally. Especially in the UK.
Higher prices and the success of the Harry & Meghan documentary helped Netflix’s UK sales climb over £1.5bn last year, newly published accounts show.
Sales at Netflix Services UK increased 12pc from £1.38bn to £1.54bn in the year ending December 2022, defying a more muted performance globally for the US technology company. The online streaming giant was lifted by the launch of a six-part documentary series following the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, which debuted on December 8 last year. The premiere became the most watched new subscription TV show of 2022, with 4.5 million viewers for its first episode according to data from the Broadcasters Audience Research Board (BARB).
The six episode series followed the royal couple’s early relationship, wedding and controversial decision to leave the UK for California. The Sussexes signed up to a multi-year deal to produce shows for Netflix in 2020, reportedly worth tens of millions of dollars.
The popularity of Harry & Meghan helped Netflix push through price rises without a drop-off in subscriber numbers.
Even in a purely business story, the Telegraph is still seething! It’s really amazing and notable that British people have continued to support Harry and Meghan, even years after the Sussexit. They were subscribing to Netflix just to watch the docuseries, British people bought and read Spare in droves, and every time Harry is in the UK, he still gets a rock star reception. You wouldn’t know it from the coverage in the British media though.
PS… Ten bucks says that British Netflixers are also streaming Suits in droves.
Photos courtesy of Netflix.
Ok salty Isle tabloids how are you going to spin these numbers to your benefit? I don’t see a way but I’m not an evil fake story writing entity. Let’s see what you got lol.
The British press was deluding themselves with the belief that the docuseries was a flop especially in the UK but this information proves them wrong again.
In their minds it was a flop and H&M are unpopular and irrelevent.
Its so bizarre how much time and energy have been devoted to unpopular and irrelevant people. Why isn’t the media paying attention to popular and relevant people then? Doesn’t the fact that they are so eager to cover Harry and Meghan disprove that very point? Their very coverage proves their popularity and relevance!
The BM seems to be irony-impaired. And also geography-impaired when it comes to the US. And mathematically-impaired when it comes to royal finances and the value of royals. Plus, their methods of fact-finding and reporting actual facts and performing relevant surveys could use major overhauls. They don’t seem to be useful for much as far as truth.
Poor Bill! I can hear his teeth grinding over here in Canada as he throw pillows and stamps his feet while screaming at his butler, Kate, and anyone within earthshot that it’s all their faults he hasn’t been offered a Netflix deal too!
All those thirsty haters do is watch every move Meghan and Harry make. They were left with the royal duds in Peg and Buttons and are suffering for it.
On another note, Netflix is upping their subscription pricing again and I just can’t do it anymore.
Well well well, the chickens have come home to roost and they’re shitting all over the tabloids and their mendacious hacks. Just try and lie your way out of this you idiots.
Omg I’m now imagining ginormous chickens roaming around London and pooping on buildings that house the British Media. Oh no, now they’re headed to Buckingham Palace… 🐓🐓🐓
LOLZ! Shades of Monty Python! I almost spat my coffee all over my keyboard!
Yeah, the salty derangers are grinding what left of their teeth to gum in rage. I can’t wait for my favs Prince Harry and Princess Meghan to reach billionaire status.
Their heads are going to explode. They really thought if they said Harry and Meghan were grifters, long enough and loud enough, it would be so.
Speaking as a British Netflix subscriber, Suits is in the ‘trending now’ ribbon which certainly suggests a lot of people are watching it.
I didn’t sign up to watch the H&M documentary as I was already a long term subscriber but I did persuade my parents (who I was visiting) to move to unlimited broadband so I could watch it without blowing through all their data.
I hope there’s a bonus clause in their contract with Netflix – and Harry’s book publisher too. Both companies have made profits well exceeding whatever they paid out to secure H & M.
I don’t know about Netflix but with the book, I’m pretty sure it’s standard that once the advance is earned, the writer gets a share of each further book sold.
I’d be astounded if Harry didn’t have a good deal for how much he gets per book over the advance.
If I listen carefully, I can hear all the throwing up, teeth grinding, heads exploding, and china smashing happening on Salt Island right now!
How bitter the media and the Leftover royals are that their “irrelevant” and “unpopular” Duke and Duchess have brought real value to Netflix, that Brits consumed the H&M content in droves, and the news of the wild success can’t be blocked from the public.
I think this “faux shocked face” is my favorite picture of Harry that y’all use.
MIne too.
The British press and media like to lie about Harry and Meghan’s actual worldwide philanthropic ánd business success. They lie all the time that nobody wants to work with them, that they are broke, not working, and…. that the are rebranding, bla, bla bla.
.
As they lied about the success of Prince Harry’s memoir, they equally sold the British public the lie that Meghan’s ‘The Bench’ was a flop in the UK – it was not. It was on the UK children’s book bestselling list about 2 years ago. Also, The Bench was a New York Times bestseller within a view weeks of publication, and it was translated into 16 languages, the most recent language being Turkish, just a view mounts ago. This meaning that Meghan is still collecting her coins from her first children’s book.
SisterSister, the books and docuseries are not their only commercial successes either. We know that Meghan invested in one local business, but we have no idea what other investments in businesses they may have.
I think the bm is angry because they can’t get any information about the Sussexes, and certain members of the brf resent them because they are successful. Put those two things together and there’s never silence in the bm.
@kaiser agree I’m also sure they are watching Suits 😀.
It’s funny, I don’t remember which outlet I was reading on how it seems Netflix sometimes troll the BP(first with the Crown fiasco and then with HM documentary). Someone waay up there in the online streaming world seem to also be on HM side 🙂.
Are we supposed to believe that everything derogatory we read about the BRF is a lie, but everything about H & M is the truth. Their successes after leaving have been many, their humanity towards helping others has been wonderful. Netflix has not been cancelled, nor is Netflix disgusted because of H & M being untalented wannabes. Nothing appears to be verified. The british gossip writers praise a useless woman and elevate her to iconic status. The british people seem to be very gullible, K has been there for 20 years, has done nothing, achieved nothing, can barely string a few words together, has no fashion sense other than to add more buttons, has never helped anyone other than herself and her own family and her patronages fail from lack of support and funds. In another world H & M would be praised for how much they have achieved since moving to the USA, but the irrational jealousy festering in W &K demands constant attacks. Charles and Camilla may not be popular but the destruction of the monarchy is happening because of two extremely narcissistic people and their relentless campaign of hate, and it is definitely not H & M. They are not perfect ,but they epitomise how royalty should behave. Diana would be smiling and supporting them totally. The European Royals all work for their people, jobs, patronages helping others , W & K seem to believe they presence is enough. Nothing else is required because they are so special and precious.
The most notable part, to me, is that the British media and royal family have never once said Harry and Meghan are lying, because they know there are receipts. Harry and Meghan were so, so smart, with all of this. The video diaries, which they made sure to mention in the first episode of Harry and Meghan, who knows what else they have stashed away, and, of course, the 400 pages Harry didn’t put in Spare because they are too explosive.
They aren’t merely upset at how they were and are treated. They collected evidence, like CSIs.
Eventually, even the derangers are going to wonder why they never push back harder than “recollections may vary”. It sure isn’t because they are maintaining the status quo of “never complain, never explain”. That’s all these idiots do, about everything OTHER than Harry and Meghan and the truthfulness of Spare, Harry and Meghan, et. al.