Netflix Is All in on Meghan Markle

Ted Sarandos is ride or die for Meghan Markle, fiscally and brand synergistically. In an interview with Variety, the Netflix CEO said both she and Prince Harry are “overly dismissed” by the general public. (And don’t get him started on the Royal Rota.) “I think Meghan is underestimated in terms of her influence on culture,” he said. “When we dropped the trailer for the Harry & Meghan doc series, everything on-screen was dissected in the press for days.” And that dissection moved product: “The shoes she was wearing sold out all over the world. The Hermès blanket that was on the chair behind her sold out everywhere in the world. People are fascinated with Meghan Markle. She and Harry are overly dismissed.” Hence With Love, Meghan getting a season 2.

Netflix is so into Meghan Markle, that the streamer is now a “passive partner” in her business, As Ever. This is her brand of jam, tea, and baking goods, about which one can read on Tudum. Sarandos sees As Ever as just one branding opportunity for Netflix, who wants to invade our non-TV times as frequently as possible. “We’re going to be much more part of our fans’ lives than going into Disneyland once every couple of years,” he said. “And I’m not shitting on Disneyland.” And if you’re going Wait, I thought Meghan Markle’s lifestyle brand thing was called something like “American Appletown,” yeah. It was. American Riviera Orchard is dead, long live As Ever.

• [variety]

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