‘Harry & Meghan’ Was Netflix’s Largest Documentary Premiere Ever

Topline

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s controversial Netflix special Harry & Meghan was the second most-watched English language television show on the streamer over the past week, the platform announced Tuesday, with 81.5 million hours watched since the first half of the documentary series premiered Thursday.

Key Facts

The debut represented the largest premiere in Netflix history for a documentary in its first week, according to the platform, with more than 28 million households tuning in to the first three episodes.

In the U.K. alone, more than 2.4 million people tuned into the first episode when it first began streaming on Thursday.

The series was overshadowed only by Tim Burton’s smash series Wednesday, which brought in nearly 270 million hours of viewership, marking the third consecutive week the show was part of Netflix’s top 10 English-language programs.

Tangent

Polling in the U.K. shows that the Sussexes’ popularity has fallen since the series premiered last week. According to a YouGov poll taken December 7 and 8, Harry’s popularity fell by 13 percentage points among British adults compared to an earlier poll in November, while Meghan’s fell by seven. Some MPs have called for the Sussexes to be stripped of their titles.

What To Watch For

The last three episodes of Harry & Meghan premiere Thursday. A trailer which dropped this week shows the final installment may ramp up when it comes to the couple’s criticisms of the royal family. Meghan describes in the trailer how she was not just “thrown to the wolves—I was being fed to the wolves.”

Key Background

The Sussexes stepped back from royal duties in 2020. Since then, their media projects like the Netflix series, Meghan’s Spotify podcast and Harry’s upcoming memoir have caused controversy in the U.K. and reportedly sparked tension with the royal family. Buckingham Palace has not officially commented on the Netflix series.

Further Reading

Meghan Markle Says She Was ‘Fed To The Wolves’ In New Trailer For Netflix Documentary (Forbes)

Here’s What We Learned From Harry And Meghan’s Netflix Documentary (Forbes)

Harry And Meghan Drop Trailer For Controversial New Netflix Documentary (Forbes)

Meghan Markle Faced ‘Disgusting And Very Real’ Threats From The Far Right, Former Counterterrorism Official Says (Forbes)