Season 2 of Meghan Markle’s ‘Archetypes’ podcast cancelled

‘Archetypes’ is the only project Meghan and Harry completed for Spotify in a $20m deal ... now they won’t pocket the full amount.

Meghan Markle’s podcast won’t have a second chapter. Picture: The Tig.com

Meghan Markle’s “Archetypes” Spotify podcast won’t be renewed for a second season, according to people familiar with the matter, a casualty of the audio company’s overhaul of its approach to podcasting.

Producers of the show, which explored labels that hold women back, have been told that a second season won’t move forward, the people said, following discussions months ago about the possibility of one.

Markle’s podcast is the only project she and her husband, Prince Harry, completed for Spotify Technology after signing a roughly $20 million overall deal with the company in late 2020. The couple hasn’t met the productivity benchmarks required to receive the full payout from the deal, people familiar with the matter said.

Prince Harry and Meghany at the 2022 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Award Gala. Picture: AFP.

The cancellation is a sign of the continuing correction in the podcast market, a format popular among listeners, but one that has proved hard to make profitable for Spotify and many of its rivals.

“The team behind Archetypes remain proud of the podcast they created at Spotify. Meghan is continuing to develop more content for the Archetypes audience on another platform,” said a representative for WME, the talent agency that recently signed Markle.

Conversations are ongoing for other homes for Archewell content, a person familiar with those discussions said.

Spotify last week laid off 200 people, including many audio engineers. The company announced a revamped approach to podcasting that includes making shows available on platforms outside Spotify and a shift to focus on offering creator tools to podcasters rather than making original content.

“Archetypes” launched to the top of Spotify’s charts of most listened-to podcasts in its premier week last August, and included celebrity guests from comedians Trevor Noah and Mindy Kaling to singer Mariah Carey, tennis player Serena Williams and media personality Paris Hilton.

The cartoon series South Park has taken aim at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Picture: Comedy Central

Spotify and Archewell executives had discussed a second season of “Archetypes” given the first season’s success, some of the people said, but discussions stalled for months. Spotify told the team working on “Archetypes” in recent weeks that the second season wouldn’t be made.

Stepping back from working roles in the royal family and moving to the U.S. in 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex signed content deals with Spotify and Netflix. The video streaming giant late last year released the docuseries “Harry & Meghan” in which the couple told the story of their relationship and the events that led them to split with the royal family.

Harry earlier this year released his memoir “Spare,” which revealed details of the prince’s life in the royal family, including learning about his mother’s death and terse exchanges with his father and brother over how his wife was treated in the press.

Dow Jones