It’s enough to spoil the Duchess’s latest batch of strawberry jam.
New figures released by Netflix and obtained by DailyMail.com show that not only has viewer interest in Meghan and Harry plummeted, but the couple have been truly overshadowed by the popularity of their former friends, David and Victoria Beckham.
Engagement figures for 2023, released last week, reveal that the Beckhams’ eponymous documentary hit the top spot in global viewing with a whopping 43.9 million views between July and December last year.
In that same period, the Harry and Meghan limited series, Volumes I and II, limped in with just 1.9 million views and 12.6 million total views for the entire year.
When it first aired in December 2022, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s docuseries was an instant hit, giving Netflix its biggest debut with 81.6 million hours watched in the first four days. But, after an initial frenzy, numbers began to steadily decline as millions of viewers lost interest.
‘Beckham’ was a show that left viewers gushing about Beckham’s family life, relationships, and work ethic. Fans praised the couple’s ‘stamina’ and marveled at Beckham’s modesty and ambition.
When it first aired in December 2022, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s docuseries was an instant hit, giving Netflix its biggest debut with 81.6 million hours watched in the first four days. But, after an initial frenzy, numbers began to steadily decline as millions of viewers lost interest and the series lost traction long before the sixth episode aired.
The show has now fallen to No. 211 on the streaming platform’s global chart, while ‘Beckham’ is No. 1 with 3.5 times viewing figures and 208.5 million hours watched in the first two months alone. .
The disparity is perhaps due in part to the fact that fans who had tuned into Harry and Meghan’s docuseries in hopes of insight and intimacy were left weary by their relentless ‘poor me’ tone. Viewers complained about the couple’s self-absorption and the fact that, despite their enviable privilege, they seemed to do nothing but lament their lot.
In stark contrast, ‘Beckham’ was a show that left viewers excited about Beckham’s family life, relationships, and work ethic. Fans praised the couple’s “resilience” and marveled at Beckham’s modesty and ambition.
This was a couple viewers could leave behind, while Harry and Meghan were a couple viewers could leave behind.
David Beckham’s documentary has achieved a record 3.8 million viewers, Netflix’s biggest audience in the UK this year.
Netflix reportedly paid £88 million ($100 million) for Harry and Meghan’s explosive docuseries as part of a multi-year deal with the streaming giant.
Participation figures for 2023, released last week, reveal that the Beckhams’ eponymous documentary has reached the top spot in global viewing.
In recent months there has been increased speculation that Harry, 39, and Meghan, 42, could lose the $100 million deal they signed with Netflix in 2020.
Aside from their weak docuseries, the pair’s much-vaunted deal with Netflix has so far only produced two shows that, the latest figures show, have struggled to generate interest.
‘Heart of Invictus’, released in August 2023 and covering Prince Harry’s games for wounded warriors, crossed the line with just 300,000 views in 2023.
‘Live to Lead,’ released in December 2022, about inspiring world leaders and featuring interviews with Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Gloria Steinem, garnered just 800,000 views.
And when it comes to cashing in on their investment, the Sussexes, with their $100 million deal, are nowhere near keeping pace with the Beckhams, whose 43.9 million views cost Netflix a modest $20 million. Dollars.
Coincidentally, that’s the size of the Spotify deal Harry and Meghan lost when it fell apart in 2023 with just 12 episodes of Meghan’s ‘Archetypes’ podcast to show for it.
The row is believed to have escalated when the Sussexes allegedly accused the Beckhams of leaking stories about them to the press, while royal biographers claimed Meghan “didn’t like the footballer’s friendship with Prince William”.
Victoria produced a custom-made white robe and dress for Meghan in 2020, which she wore during her final appearance at Westminster Abbey in March of that year (pictured).
Here, FEMAIL looks at how the relationship fell apart – from snubs on wedding invitations and disagreements over designer clothes to fears of an upstage.
Speaking at the time, Spotify’s Head of Podcast Innovation and Monetization Bill Simmons described the pair as “scammers”, saying: “I wish I had been involved in the ‘Meghan and Harry leaving Spotify’ deal.” ‘The damn scammers.’ “That’s the podcast we should have launched with them.”
Now, sources speculate that their deal with Netflix could be about to go in the same direction, with some describing Meghan’s cooking and lifestyle show and Harry’s polo documentary as “filler”, while Others ask what they have left to share now that their relationship with the rest of the royal family is almost over.
Harry and Meghan’s former close friendship with Victoria and David Beckham has also soured. The former Spice Girl turned clothing designer and her husband were guests at Sussex’s wedding in May 2019.
Meghan often wore Victoria’s designs and the older woman opened her little black book of UK stylists to her when she first settled in the country.
Meghan’s Strawberry Jams launched in April. Pictured is a basket sent to Kelly McKee Zajfen.
Later, according to biographer Tom Bower, David, 49, and Victoria, 50, offered the couple shelter in their Los Angeles home when they were looking for a place in the United States.
But according to Bower, a phone call from Harry to the former Manchester United star left Beckham “furious” and effectively ended the once warm friendship.
According to Bower, the royals were concerned that close friends were leaking stories about them to the press and Meghan was especially suspicious of Victoria. Harry called and repeated this accusation to Beckham and the rest, and the friendship is history.
Now, to rub salt in the wounds of the Beckhams’ growing popularity in the face of the Sussexes’ decline, Beckham has probably spent more time with King Charles III than Harry this year, as the former England captain has been announced as the new ambassador. to the King’s Foundation.
The King and the former footballer are reportedly now “beekeeping buddies” who have exchanged jars of honey from their respective hives in Highgrove and Oxfordshire, as well as advice on beekeeping.