See not-Prince Harry gallop. See not-Prince Harry swing his mallet. Hear the lords of Netflix gnashing their teeth over what they paid for all this.
Such is a summary in the U.K.’s Daily Mail of the latest item that Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, have delivered to Netflix as part of their £80-million deal.
The five-part documentary titled “Polo” is expected to arrive in December, but the Mail said it is not what Netflix wanted in its stocking.
Harry is a bit player in the series, which centers around Nacho Figueras, a highly regarded figure in the small pool of polo but a nonentity to the wider world.
Prince Harry’s Polo documentary is coming to Netflix later this year. https://t.co/uMke4y8kPw
— Us Weekly (@usweekly) September 21, 2024
The Mail report, which quoted sources it did not name, said one source revealed Netflix wanted “more bang for its buck.”
“What Netflix have received in return doesn’t look great,” the Mail quoted a source, identified as a Hollywood producer, as saying. “People want personal stuff.”
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“Apart from their documentary series, which had the drama of them quitting the royal family, everything else they’ve produced has been underwhelming,” the producer said.
The producer said that the series does not live up to what would be an average viewer’s expectations.
The insider further explained that, “Any reasonable person tuning into a show about polo made by Prince Harry would expect Harry to take a starring role.”
What viewers will see is the Nacho show. Given Polo is not mainstream, people would be tuning into seeing Harry….but H is…
— Ellen C (@couragouslady) September 30, 2024
“Any reasonable person tuning into a show about polo made by Prince Harry would expect Harry to take a starring role. That he’s not is hugely disappointing for Netflix,” the producer said.
“Let’s face it, polo isn’t exactly a mainstream sport, so the attraction would have been watching Harry. Without him, it’s marginal at best.”
The producer said Netflix might not want more content if this is what it is getting.
“The Netflix deal expires next year, so the Sussexes need a big hit. This sounds like a big nothing burger,” the source said.
The Mail quoted another source as saying the series simply focuses on the wrong people.
“For a show about a sport of kings, ‘Polo’ barely features any royalty. It’s not the Harry show; it’s the Nacho show,” the source said.
Another source told the Mail, “Nacho speaks broken English and is just not mainstream enough to pull in the ratings.”
The series is not the last gasp for Harry and Meghan on Netflix.
Meghan has a cooking and lifestyle show set to air in 2025, according to Sky News Australia. The show does not yet have a title.
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