Meghan Markle's Spotify podcast axed because it was 'diluted' by Netflix deal, says expert

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have cut ties with streaming giant Spotify. As we reported earlier today, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s deal with the firm has ended after just one series of Meghan's podcast.

Following a "mutual agreement" between the royals and the streaming giant, a joint statement from Archewell Audio and Spotify was released.

Meghan hosted only one series as part of the £18 million deal - the podcast Archetypes - which ran for 12 episodes from August 2022, chatting to celebrities, historians and experts about the history of stereotypes levelled against women.But as speculation grows about what has been going on behind the scenes, some media commentators are offering up their thoughts on what they think has brought the contract to an end.Future News Editor Ian Silvera told Express.co.uk that one theory is Spotify felt their output was being diluted by the couple's deals with other companies.

He said: "The Sussexes have been working with other media companies, including Netflix and Penguin Random House."This has meant that their audio exclusivity with Spotify has been diluted – why listen to the podcast when you can watch the documentary?"He added: "The Sussex experiment should make podcast platforms think twice about the types of arrangements they sign with celebrities and what other media work that personality or personalities may be signed up to." Dhilon Solanki, founder of personal podcast gift platform Story Locker, told Express.co.uk that the "cosy" format of the podcast could have been a problem.