I mentioned yesterday that I was more interested to hear what industry sources and trade papers have to say about the Duke and duchess of Sussex Spotify mess than I am in the hysterical and utterly unserious nonsense coming from the British media. The Hollywood Reporter has been doing a great job this week to bring down the heat around the Sussex/Spotify issue. They have put the story in a larger context, explaining what Spotify did wrong, what changes the company was making, and that there were many other high-profile individuals who left Spotify, but they didn't get the same attention as the Sussexes. Joe Pompeo, a VF journalist who covers the media/streamer beat, wrote an article in Vanity Fair entitled "Is there air coming out of Harry and Meghan’s content balloon?" His sources are from WME, Spotify, and Netflix. Not Camilla Tominey. Highlights:

Meghan did she conduct interviews for Archetypes? A source with knowledge of the Archewell deal said Meghan conducted the interviews of all the main guests, such as the Mariah Careys, Mindy Kalings, and Mindys. The interviews of secondary voices in certain episodes were conducted by producers, which is a common practice.

The Sussexes have pitched a number of other projects. I'm told Harry, Meghan, and their team pitched show concepts and acquisitions to Spotify, but they didn't go forward. I reported previously that the Obamas shared a similar frustration with Spotify before leaving for Audible.

According to UK papers, the Sussexes Netflix contract is "unlikely" to be renewed. A source said that the feeling was that the lemon had been fully squeezed. The Sun US website reports that the $100 million deal with Netflix is unlikely to be renewed. A source said, "The lemon has been squeezed to the max."

My source who is familiar with Archewell's deals says that the Netflix deal has never been better. Harry's Heart of Invictus, a documentary about the Sussexes, is scheduled for this summer. There are also "various other projects that have not been announced but that are being developed that are very exciting to all parties."

WME is again on their side. To be fair to Harry, Meghan's haters are numerous and their schadenfreude runs deep. They're not negotiating contracts without competent representation. According to Variety, Meghan and Archewell Productions will be represented by WME as of April. The powerhouse talent agency will explore "film and TV production, brand partnerships,and overall business-building," with the Sussexes. WME's rep responded to the Spotify announcement by telling the Journal that Meghan is still developing content for Archetypes audiences on other platforms. (WME did not have anything to say.)

The future of Brand Sussex. And yet, there is still the $100 million question: Does the public want more content about Harry and Meghan? Let alone content that's not about them? Marina Hyde's Tuesday column in The Guardian provided me with one possible answer. She wrote that "experience and ratings continue show that people are interested in watching the Sussexes complain about their life and treatment by the Royal Family." "That's the only genre where Meghan and Harry really pull in the eyes--and, given that they are literally all the people who work in it, feels like theirs."

[From Vanity Fair]

The Netflix deal has never been better. There are a number of projects that are in development, but have not yet been announced. All parties are excited. The past week has been a depressing one. There are so many "but what have we done for you lately" questions. The Sussexes produced a successful podcast, a Netflix hit docu-series, and a huge bestseller memoir. All of these projects were released within six months, during which time Harry's grandmother also passed away. It's... been... a long time. I'm looking forwards to Heart of Invictus, and to what seems like the Sussexes joining Audible or another podcasting platform.

Avalon Red and Backgrid provided the photos.