
Netflix Drops Meghan and Harry: $100M Deal Ends Without Renewal
A source confirmed to PEOPLE that the decision not to extend the deal reflects a broader shift in Netflix's content strategy, which has moved away from big-budget, multi-project agreements. The source also emphasized that there is 'no animosity' between either party and that the collaboration has 'just run its course.'
Despite the non-renewal, future partnerships remain possible. Meghan's lifestyle show With Love, Meghan is set to return for a second season this fall, and the Duchess's lifestyle brand As Ever, which launched in collaboration with Netflix, continues to perform well with several sold-out product drops.
The couple's past projects under Netflix had mixed results. Their 2022 docuseries Harry & Meghan remains the most-watched documentary debut on the platform. However, recent projects like Polo saw lower viewership numbers. Industry insiders note that Netflix achieved its goal by securing the headline-making early content from the couple—content that may have marked the peak of public interest in their media ventures.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Khaleej Times
4 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
What are UAE audiences watching? Top streaming platforms reveal surprising viewing habits
What do Korean survival thrillers, Spanish heist dramas, and Indian celebrity interviews have in common? In the UAE, they're all competing for screen time in living rooms, bedrooms, and smartphones. The modern streaming experience has transformed passive viewing into a global discovery tour and UAE audiences are among the most adventurous travelers. Global platforms like Netflix and Disney+ are seeing a massive shift in what people watch, how they watch, and more interestingly, in what language. With a multicultural population, high internet penetration, and a young, digitally savvy demographic, the UAE offers a snapshot of how global content is consumed and celebrated across the MENA region. The Netflix Effect Once considered a disruptor, Netflix is now one of the world's leading entertainment platforms, available in over 190 countries and 50 languages. In MENA, its influence goes far beyond delivering Hollywood hits. The platform has played a key role in breaking down cultural silos by exposing viewers to diverse languages, genres, and storytelling styles. A Netflix report, which captures 99 percent of all viewing in the first half of 2025, shows that people watched a lot of Netflix — over 95 billion hours — spanning a wide range of genres and languages. Of those, more than one-third of all Netflix viewing globally came from non-English language titles, and and 10 of the 25 most-watched series in the first half of the year were non-English. For instance, Squid Game, the South Korean hit series, drew 231 million views across all three seasons in the first half of the year. Its final season became our third most-watched program of the half, reaching 72 million views in just four days. Other titles like Money Heist (Spain), Dark (Germany), and Lupin (France) not only topped global charts but also became part of MENA's mainstream pop culture, despite releasing in previous years. But the region is also a contributor; Arabic originals like Al Rawabi School for Girls, The Exchange, and Finding Ola didn't just find success in the Middle East, they reached the global Top 10, trending even in non-Arabic speaking countries. Meanwhile, Netflix's recent Arabic reality hit Love Is Blind, Habibi made waves both regionally and internationally, landing in the global Top 10 across 12 countries outside MENA. It even caught the attention of Kim Kardashian, who praised the show in a video she shared on social media, saying, "We're obsessed." On average, Netflix users in the region watch content from six different genres per month, ranging from horror and drama to family-friendly animation, comedy, and even live sports entertainment like WWE. The Disney+ perspective It's not just Netflix riding this wave. Disney+ has also noted changing viewing patterns across the Middle East, pointing out how preferences shift from one country to another. 'In the Middle East, we're seeing a significant rise in demand for internationally produced content,' says Tamim Fares, Director of Disney+ Middle East. 'And, interestingly, the type of content varies by country.' Take Saudi Arabia, for instance. According to Fares, Korean and Turkish content has seen a sharp rise in popularity over the past two years — and not just among younger viewers. 'It's across genders and age groups,' he adds. A recent Turkish original on the platform, Reminder, became an overnight hit, dominating the charts and igniting conversations across social media. But in the UAE, the story is different. 'Indian Originals on Disney+, such as Koffee with Karan and Aarya, have similar watch times as content from Hollywood,' Fares explains. While the large South Asian population in the UAE plays a role, what's noteworthy is the growing interest from non-Indian audiences. 'We see steady engagement from Arab viewers who watch with Arabic subtitles.' This multilingual engagement also speaks to a deep-rooted cultural familiarity with dubbed content. 'Families across the Gulf grew up watching beloved classics like The Lion King dubbed in Egyptian Arabic,' Fares says. 'So today, a Hollywood animation in that dub still draws huge regional audiences.' In our previous report in June, in which we asked UAE residences what they're watching this summer, shows like The Summer I Turned Pretty, Buccaneers, and Ginny & Georgia remained top favourites. For platforms that get the balance right — quality content, local language, and effective marketing — origin no longer matters. 'When content, language, marketing, and promotion align with local expectations,' Fares says, 'origins fade and stories travel.' The global success of shows like Love Is Blind, Habibi, or the regional virality of Reminder and Koffee With Karan, is proof of just that.


Khaleej Times
8 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
‘Wednesday' Season 2: Release date, plot, cast and everything you need to know
The long-awaited return of Netflix's record-breaking series Wednesday is almost here. Nearly three years since Season 1 cast its spooky spell over global audiences, Wednesday Season 2 drops in two parts — with Episodes 1–4 premiering on August 6, 2025, and the remaining episodes following on September 3. Led once again by Jenna Ortega as the deadpan and delightfully macabre Wednesday Addams, the upcoming season plunges deeper into gothic thrills and emotional stakes. Showrunners Alfred Gough and Miles Millar are back, as is executive producer Tim Burton, ensuring the same dark visual flair fans loved the first time around. Season 2 picks up after Wednesday uncovered the sinister plot involving Tyler the Hyde and Laurel, the descendant of the puritanical Crackstone. With Nevermore Academy in ruins and new threats looming, Wednesday returns to school, but, as Ortega teased to Tudum, she will be kidnapped right at the start. 'Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega), returns to prowl the Gothic halls of Nevermore Academy, where fresh foes and woes await. This season, Wednesday must navigate family, friends and old adversaries, propelling her into another year of delightfully dark and kooky mayhem,' the official synopsis reads. "Armed with her signature razor-sharp wit and deadpan charm, Wednesday is also plunged into a new bone-chilling supernatural mystery. Watch the trailer below: The Addams Family will take on more central roles this season, with Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones), Gomez (Luis Guzmán), and Pugsley (Isaac Ordonez) returning. Adding even more star power, Lady Gaga joins the cast in Part 2 as Rosaline Rotwood, a legendary Nevermore teacher, while Joanna Lumley plays Grandmama Frump and Haley Joel Osment appears as the Kansas City Scalper.


Dubai Eye
9 hours ago
- Dubai Eye
TV series 'Wednesday' returns with family and female-focused Season 2
Actress Jenna Ortega and the creators of the hit Netflix series "Wednesday" are hoping to surpass expectations as the show returns to screens after almost three years. The dark fantasy series' first season, which premiered in November 2022, ranks as Netflix's most popular English-language show of all time, with more than 252 million views in the first 91 days of release. As well as reprising the titular role, Ortega, 22, took on executive producer duties for the new season. Filmmaker Tim Burton also returns as one of the directors and executive producers. "I've always been very protective of the character. I just want to make sure that we're always doing her justice," said Ortega. "It's the most we've ever seen her on screen so there's a lot of room and opportunity to maybe go off track. "Fortunately we have a really great creative team. I'm doing my best to be on it, but you also have people like Tim, who are monitoring." The second season sees Wednesday returning to Nevermore Academy as a celebrated hero, much to her dismay. She investigates new supernatural mysteries, while dealing with glitches in her psychic powers. Wednesday also faces another nuisance - family. Her little brother Pugsley starts his studies at Nevermore and their parents are a frequent presence on campus. 'PLAY OF EMOTIONS' Bringing the Addams Family to the academy allowed co-creators and showrunners Alfred Gough and Miles Millar to expand the storylines of the characters introduced in the first season and explore mother-daughter dynamics. "We thought, wouldn't that be, for Wednesday, the ultimate thorn in her side if Morticia (her mother) came to school," said Millar. Catherine Zeta-Jones, who plays Morticia, promised fast-paced scenes between the two. "It's a dance and a play of emotions," Zeta-Jones said. The season's focus on female relationships stood out as one of its stronger points for Ortega. "We're so oftentimes taught to compete against one another and there's always some sort of comparing game that people are going to enforce on you," Ortega said. "What I love about the women I am working with and the characters, every woman in this show wants to see the other succeed. I think that's really important for young people to see today," she added. The sophomore season also introduces new characters, including Steve Buscemi's Nevermore principal Barry Dort and the Addams family matriarch Grandmama Hester Frump, played by Joanna Lumley. Pop star Lady Gaga makes a guest star appearance as a teacher in Part 2. Wednesday has already been renewed for a third season, with Gough and Millar in the writers' room "cooking that up" and ready to go beyond. "We have goalposts for other things. There could be spinoffs, there could be other iterations of the show," Millar said. "It's such a big world. We are excited to explore it as much as we can."