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Spotify’s exclusive podcast deal with Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex is likely to end – the pair have only delivered one show under the deal, Variety has confirmed.
Officials from Spotify and Archewell Audio, the couple’s podcast production company, declined to comment.
According to a source familiar with the situation, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle wanted to give up exclusive Spotify distribution to find a new home for their audio projects.
Another source said Spotify is expecting more content from Archewell Audio – noting they have only delivered one series almost three years after the pact was signed, essentially putting the overall deal in limbo. This show is Markle’s “Archetypes” in which she deconstructs the history of societal stereotypes about women. The show premiered in August 2022 and reached #1 on the company’s charts in several countries.
Archewell Audio first inked the exclusive podcast deal with Spotify in late 2020, valued at about $20 million, The Wall Street Journal reported. The company’s mission is to “produce programs that engage and entertain audiences around the world”, “emphasize diverse perspectives and voices” and “build community through shared experiences, narratives and values”.
Another high-profile Spotify exclusive podcast deal with Barack and Michelle Obama ended a year ago. In this case, Spotify refused to extend the contract; Sources said the Obamas wanted their podcast program to be as widely distributed as possible, not just available on Spotify. The pair’s Higher Ground then landed a first-look deal with Audible.
Spotify announced earlier this month that it was laying off 200 employees as part of a restructuring of its podcast business. This comes after the departure of Dawn Ostroff, chief content and advertising business officer, who previously ran Spotify’s podcast business, earlier in the year. The company’s podcast reorganization aims to “refocus our focus on the millions of YouTubers who are building audiences and businesses on our platform,” Sahar Elhabashi, Spotify vice president and head of podcast business, wrote in a statement the employees. She added that Spotify remains “committed to original programming.”
The looming end of Archewell Audio’s contract with Spotify has nothing to do with the restructuring of the podcast group, a source familiar with the situation said.