Spotify Boss Breaks Silence on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Split

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's $20 million Spotify deal collapsed as it did not live up to the hope it would make "consumers very happy," the boss of the streaming service has suggested.

The couple announced their podcast deal in December 2020 but produced just one 12-episode show, Archetypes, hosted by Meghan.

Daniel Ek was asked during a BBC interview whether the partnership was value for money, and revealed the company had hoped to shake things up with the marquee acquisition.

Journalist Zoe Kleinman said: "You had some big names, you had the Obamas, you had the Duke and Duchess of Sussex—they released 12 podcasts in two and half years. Was that worth £18 million [$21.7 million]?"

"We thought new innovation was needed to happen here," Ek replied. "We thought we can come in and offer a great experience that both makes consumers very happy and allows new creators new avenues.

"And the truth of the matter is some of it has worked, some of it hasn't. We're learning from those and we are moving on and we wish all of the ones we didn't renew with the best of success they can have going forward."

The interviewer replied: "That is very diplomatic."

Spotify executive Bill Simmons, head of podcast innovation and monetization, was less diplomatic during his own podcast in June, in which he said: "I wish I had been involved in the Meghan and Harry leave Spotify negotiation. 'The F****** Grifters,' that's the podcast we should have launched with them.

"I gotta get drunk one night and tell the story of the Zoom I had with Harry, trying to help him with a podcast idea. It's one of my best stories."

At the time, PR consultant Eric Schiffer, head of Reputation Management Consultants, told Newsweek the remarks were damaging to the couple not only due to the reference to "grifters" but also the suggestion of a damaging story that could still emerge at some point.

"That is a crippling comment", he said, "because it raises it at a critical time with the contract and it suggests there's something there that could be grenade-like to Harry.

"We'll have to see whether he chooses to release it. For a Spotify executive to attack Harry in broad daylight and Spotify not condemn it suggests there's some strong feelings within the executive team at Spotify against Harry and perhaps some dark feelings about the interactions."

It will also have been embarrassing to Harry that he tried and failed to launch his own podcast with the platform.

Jack Royston is chief royal correspondent for Newsweek, based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.

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