Spotify ends podcast deal with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

A multi-million-dollar deal between a media group run by Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle, and streaming giant Spotify is to end, a report said Thursday.

The couple have produced just one series under their Archewell Audio podcast imprint since inking the agreement in 2020 for a reported $20 million.

That show, Markle's "Archetypes," has topped podcast charts for the outlet in a number of markets, with listeners flocking to her discussions with influential women.

But trade title 'Variety', citing an unnamed source, reported Thursday that Spotify had been expecting more material. Harry and the Duchess of Sussex were looking to find a new home for their content, Variety said, citing another source. There was no immediate response from Spotify or Archewell when AFP approached for comment.

Harry, the younger son of Britain's King Charles, married glamorous former US television actress Meghan in 2018 in a blaze of positive coverage that looked set to help bring the tradition-bound monarchy into the 21st century. But relations between the couple and the family soured over the following years, with accusations Markle was subjected to racism.

Harry and his wife stepped back from royal life and relocated to California, from where they have continued to lob brickbats at the institution.

Most explosively there has been a tell-all autobiography from the 38-year-old prince, a Netflix docu-series, and a high-profile interview with Oprah Winfrey.

Since quitting royal duties, the couple have sought to make money through media ventures.