Harry and Meghan Markle once again find themselves in the crosshairs of people as it became known that they cancelled a fundraiser event for war veterans because it conflicted with their 9-digit contract with Netflix.
What made the news even worse for the readers was the fact that the event was scheduled to be held for the Invictus Games Foundation, established by none other than Prince Harry himself.
The multi-sports event was to raise approximately 1 million GBP for injured veterans who participate in nine different sports events. Some of the events that would have taken place include indoor rowing, wheelchair basketball and sitting volleyball played by the injured heroes.
According to the Sunday Times and several other media sources, the sole reason why the Duke and Duchess of Sussex cancelled the event was because the games were to be broadcasted via Amazon. This, according to the report, would have violated the new Netflix deal that the two signed.
One of the main reasons why the now retired royalty were paid such a hefty sum was because of their exclusivity contract. This deal likely means that the two may not appear in any televised or broadcasted event that is not by, or at least pre-approved by Netflix.
Within the contract, the two are contracted to appear in several different features of Netflix ranging from children’s shows to various documentaries and films. For instance, a documentary that details the public retirement of the couple as told by them would only be available on Netflix.
Thus, them appearing on the Invictus Games would have violated their exclusivity contract with Netflix even though it was signed much after the games themselves. The 2020 event was supposed to take place on April before it was postponed due to the global pandemic.
The organizers of the 2020 event has refuted this narrative – that Prince Harry and Meghan cancelled the event due to their deal with Netflix. According to the spokesperson, the event was cancelled as Covid-19 continues to rage around the globe not because of the deal.
Regardless of the exact reasons, it is still a missed opportunity for everyone involved, especially for the injured veterans who must have trained hard for the fundraising event. Share with us your thoughts on this story, and be sure to follow us on Facebook for more news like this one.
Replaced!