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Netflix has “extended its creative partnership” with Archewell Productions, Prince Harry and Meghan’s — the Duke and Duchess of Sussex — media company, with a multiyear, first-look deal for all of Archewell’s film and television projects. In practice, it is a downgrade from the 2020 overall deal that birthed Harry & Meghan, Polo and With Love, Meghan, among other projects.

The overall-to-first-look extension mirrors the move Netflix made recently with the Obamas — as well as others — for their Higher Ground banner. In both cases, the exclusivity carried by their respective, splashy original deals has been removed.

As part of the new deal, Netflix is also now partnering with Markle’s “As ever” lifestyle brand.

“We’re proud to extend our partnership with Netflix and expand our work together to include the As ever brand,” Markle said in a statement. “My husband and I feel inspired by our partners who work closely with us and our Archewell Productions team to create thoughtful content across genres that resonates globally, and celebrates our shared vision.“

“Harry and Meghan are influential voices whose stories resonate with audiences everywhere. The response to their work speaks for itself — Harry & Meghan gave viewers an intimate look into their lives and quickly became one of our most-watched documentary series,” Netflix chief content officer Bela Bajaria said. “More recently, fans have been inspired by With Love, Meghan, with products from the new As ever line consistently selling out in record time. We’re excited to continue our partnership with Archewell Productions and to entertain our members together.”

Harry & Meghan debuted on Netflix in December of 2022 with a total of 23.4 million views over just its first four days. It ranks as Netflix’s fifth most-popular documentary series of all time.

Season two of With Love, Meghan will premiere later this month, and a new holiday special will stream this December.

Archewell’s current projects set up at Netflix also include feature film Meet Me at the Lake, an adaptation of the bestselling novel of the same name by Carley Fortune. Plus, there’s the documentary short Masaka Kids, A Rhythm Within — a partnership between Archewell and Campfire Studios in association with Wontanara Productions.

“In the heart of Uganda’s Masaka region, where the shadows of the HIV/AIDS crisis linger, a small orphanage becomes a beacon of hope,” the logline reads. “Masaka Kids, A Rhythm Within goes beyond the viral videos to reveal a vibrant, one-of-a-kind community where orphaned children transform hardship into joy, dancing their way toward healing, belonging, and the promise of a brighter future.”

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have extended their Netflix partnership with a multi-year, first-look deal via their banner Archewell Productions.

The couple first inked a deal with the streamer in 2020 and have since collaborated on projects including “Polo,” “Harry & Meghan,” “Heart of Invcitus” and “Live to Lead.” Most recently, Markle debuted her lifestyle series “With Love, Meghan,” the second season of which premieres later this month. Along with the series, she launched the brand As Ever, which will continue to grow in partnership with Netflix.

It was also revealed that a special episode of “With Love, Meghan” titled “Holiday Celebration” will premiere this December. “Join Meghan in Montecito for a magical holiday celebration,” the logline reads. “Together, friends and family deck the halls, create holiday feasts, craft heartfelt gifts, and share lots of laughs — with simple how-tos to follow at home. It’s a holiday wonder with warmth, tradition and a generous dose of joy.”

Other projects Harry and Meghan are producing at Netflix include the documentary short “Masaka Kids, A Rhythm Within,” which is set to release later this year. “In the heart of Uganda’s Masaka region, where the shadows of the HIV/AIDS crisis linger, a small orphanage becomes a beacon of hope,” the short’s synopsis reads. “‘Masaka Kids, A Rhythm Within’ goes beyond the viral videos to reveal a vibrant, one-of-a-kind community where orphaned children transform hardship into joy, dancing their way toward healing, belonging and the promise of a brighter future.” The couple is also developing a feature adaptation of Carley Fortune’s bestselling romantic drama book “Meet Me at the Lake.”

“We’re proud to extend our partnership with Netflix and expand our work together to include the As Ever brand,” Markle said in a statement. “My husband and I feel inspired by our partners who work closely with us and our Archewell Productions team to create thoughtful content across genres that resonates globally, and celebrates our shared vision.”

Added Bela Bajaria, Netflix chief content officer: “Harry and Meghan are influential voices whose stories resonate with audiences everywhere. The response to their work speaks for itself — ‘Harry & Meghan’ gave viewers an intimate look into their lives and quickly became one of our most-watched documentary series. More recently, fans have been inspired by ‘With Love, Meghan,’ with products from the new As Ever line consistently selling out in record time. We’re excited to continue our partnership with Archewell Productions and to entertain our members together.”

EXCLUSIVE: The K-drama craze continues around the world, with Rakuten Viki snapping up a soon-to-launch drama starring Song Joong-ki (Reborn Rich) and Chun Woo-hee (The Wailing) for multiple territories.

The Asian entertainment-focused streaming has acquired rights to My Youth in the U.S., Latin America and Europe. It will launch on streaming service Viki in September.

Directed by Lee Sang-yeop (Yumi’s Cells) and written by Park Si-hyeon, the series follows Sun Woo-hae (Song) and his first love, Sung Je-yeon (Chun), who reconnect after a decade apart. Sun has found comfort and satisfaction in his work as a novelist and florist after a difficult childhood in the entertainment industry, while Sung is driven to reach the highest echelons of career success as a team leader at Feel Entertainment, having seen her wealthy family lose everything. Their reunion forces them to confront the past and their present selves.

“My Youth features incredible storytelling, as well as wonderful talent both behind and in front of the camera,” said Jaehee Hong, SVP of Content at Rakuten Viki. “The series makes an excellent addition to our line-up of rich K-content meant to appeal both to fans of k-drama as well as anyone looking to immerse themselves in a riveting drama.”

SLL and High-Zium Studio made the series, which is due to launch on JTBC in Korea on September 5.

For Rakuten Viki, the deal comes after it announced My Girlfriend is The Man!, a co-production with Studio N, in May. Other recent deals have included the acquisition of Toronto-premiered coming-of-age film Love in the Big City and the release of Yumi’s Cells: The Movie in July 2024 and an agreement with China’s Bilibili for a pair of animated series.

Rakuten Viki, part of e-commerce giant Rakuten Group, has over 100 million registered users in 190+ countries, and sits alongside k-entertainment news site Soompi.

In an interview with Deadline last year, Rakuten Viki revealed around than 75% of the streamer’s viewers were of non-Asian descent, and that k-content such as True Beauty, What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim, My Lovely Liar and Perfect Marriage Revenge were among its biggest hits. Other top-performing shows included Chinese titles Love Like the Galaxy and Only For Love, and Thailand’s F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers and Japan’s An Incurable Case of Love.