Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s £80million Netflix deal could be on the rocks after scathing Polo reviews, brand expert warns

UK brand and culture expert Nick Ede has revealed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex‘s Polo may be the ‘nail in the coffin’ for their £80million Netflix deal.

Prince Harry, 40, who served as an executive producer alongside Meghan, 43, promised the series, released globally this week, would showcase the ‘true depth and spirit of the sport’ as well as the ‘intensity of its high-stakes moments’.

However, the five-part docuseries, which centres around the build-up to the polo World Cup in Florida and mainly focuses on players such as Adolfo and Poroto Cambiaso, Timmy Dutta, and Nacho Figueras, struggled to impress critics.

It’s a reality that Ede considers threatening for the Sussex’s Netflix deal, he told MailOnline: ‘The new polo documentary hasn’t received good reviews, and this is another foray into producing from Meghan and Harry.

‘All eyes will be on whether the show rates and makes the very important top ten. It could, like the Invictus documentary, start well due to the public’s fascination with the pair and with polo potentially.

‘But it’s more than likely to fair badly when up against blockbusters like Black Dove and safe Lindsay Lohan Christmas films.

‘This could potentially be a nail in the coffin for their deal with the streaming giant who now use algorithms to make sure their programming is perfect for their subscribers.’

The series hardly features Harry and Meghan and has been nicknamed ‘the Nacho show’ behind the scenes because it focuses primarily on the Argentinian player – another drawback for Ede.

He said: ‘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!’

UK brand and culture expert Nick Ede revealed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Polo (pictured) may be the ‘nail in the coffin’ for their Netflix deal

Ede said that Netflix bosses will be keeping a close eye on whether Polo (pictured) scores highly on the streaming platform’s top ten 

The brand expert concluded: ‘We are still waiting for the new food show from Meghan and with the hype around this new show simmering rather than boiling, TV bosses will be starting to get worried about their big investment.’

Harry and Meghan are said to be working on ‘a bunch’ of new Netflix projects including a film and two other ‘unscripted’ projects, a company executive revealed in February.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex signed a five-year agreement with the California-based streaming giant in 2020 worth an estimated $100million (£80million).

But there has been uncertainty over whether the deal will be renewed next year, especially after their £15million Spotify contract ended early in June last year.

In February, Netflix’s chief content officer Bela Bajaria revealed that Harry and Meghan ‘actually have a bunch in development’ under their Archewell Productions arm.

According to The Times, Ms Bajaria told a Netflix promotional event in Hollywood that the Sussexes were working on ‘a couple of unscripted things’ – thought to be documentaries – plus a film and a series, which are all in ‘very early development’.

Specific details on the shows are unknown, but the film could be related to Harry and Meghan’s planned £3million adaptation of the novel Meet Me At The Lake.

The reviews surfaced for Harry and Meghan’s latest Netflix endeavour Polo on Wednesday.

Nacho Figueras and Delfina Blaquier with Meghan and Harry at the Royal Salute Polo Challenge benefitting Sentebale in April

Prince Harry and Meghan’s latest Netflix endeavour Polo failed to secure rave reviews (Meghan seen in at a charity polo game at the Ikoyi Polo Club in Lagos in May, 2024)

But despite the likely high hopes that this would join the ranks of great sport documentaries such as Disney +’s Welcome to Wrexham and 2020’s The Last Dance, the series has been panned by critics.

Receiving two stars or less out of five across the board, the five-part show has been labelled ‘a tedious inside-look at posh polo’ and a ‘mostly boring look at a sport that very few people outside of elite circles have any particular interest in’.

For The Guardian’s Stuart Heritage, who awarded the series just two stars, ‘Polo looks destined to fall through the submenus into obscurity at the speed of light’.

The Telegraph’s Ed Power, meanwhile, noted how there was ‘not enough of the Sussexes to make this anything other than a dull indulgence about a rich person’s pursuit’. 

After the Duke of Sussex caused a storm with his bombshell Netflix documentary released in December 2022 that took aim at his own family, he cuts a surprisingly low-key figure in the show, which was released on Monday. 

The Prince, 40, only appears a handful of times throughout the five episodes, with his wife Meghan, 43, appearing even less – despite both being executive producers of the series. 

Harry appears in the opening credits of the show, but doesn’t appear again until episode four, when he is only part of a conversation with the other players. 

Instead, the series mainly focuses on Adolfo and Poroto Cambiaso, Louis Devaleix, Timmy Dutta, Nacho Figueras, Keko Magrini – who all overshadow Harry – and preparations for the US open.

Harry has played polo for years, but the sport is far from accessible for a person earning an average salary

Pictured: Prince Harry and Meghan attend a polo fundraiser event in Lagos, Nigeria in May 2024

Meghan wanted to show the ‘down-to-earth side’ of polo in her vision for her new Netflix series, the show’s producer has revealed.  

The Duchess of Sussex, 43, had hoped the latest installment of her £80million Netflix deal would make the sport ‘more accessible’, according to executive producer and showrunner Miloš Balać. 

The horse-riding activity is often known as the ‘sport of kings’ due to being beloved by the royals, including Harry himself – while the pricey hobby costs tens of thousands of pounds to play and is far from accessible to a person of average income.  

The five-episode series follows the glittering lives of polo stars as they compete in the US Open, featuring hunky athletes and their very glamorous partners. 

In the show, Meghan cut an elegant figure in a $812 (£650) dress, £2,650 Maison Valentino bag, adding pieces of jewellery worth thousands of pounds.   

Balać revealed that Meghan and Harry, who worked on the show as executive producers had a ‘clear vision’ with their latest project.

Speaking to People Magazine, he revealed that the couple were very ‘hands-on’ in wanting to achieve their ‘down-to-earth’ and ‘accessible’ approach.

He said: ‘They were wonderful. They were extremely hands-on. They really had a vision for trying to get polo to be accessible to a wider audience.

‘I think I spoke to them before I ever went to a polo match and it was [Meghan] who really prepped me for how wonderfully casual polo can be.’

Balać, who also served as co-executive producer on Welcome To Wrexham, said Meghan wanted to emphasise the experience of polo from a spectator’s point of view.  

He added that while Sundays at polo are a ‘big do’, the rest of the week is ‘actually so down to earth’.  

The producer said: ‘They’re there not to see and be seen, but to enjoy the sport that they really care about and people show up to that for free and you just pull up and she said that that’s what she loves.’