“With Love, Meghan” outperformed Chef’s Table, Iron Chef, and Top Chef according to Netflix’s own engagement data, making the mutual split about business strategy rather than content failure

Netflix will not renew Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s production deal when it expires in September, multiple sources confirmed this week. But the streaming giant’s official engagement data reveals that Meghan’s cooking show was actually the #1 most successful cooking program on the platform.

The Performance Numbers

Netflix’s January-June 2025 engagement report shows “With Love, Meghan” ranked #383 overall with 5.3 million views. Within actual cooking programming, it was #1:

“With Love, Meghan” at #1 with 5.3M views beat:

• Culinary Class Wars – 3.3M views (#2)
• Chef’s Table: Legends – 2.2M views (#3)
• The Great British Baking Show: Collection 12 – 1.6M views
• Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend – 600K views
• Top Chef Season 16 – 500K views
• Five Star Chef – 500K views

(Note: “Tastefully Yours,” a Korean series that appeared higher in some analyses, was not included in Netflix’s cooking genre classification)

Among genuine cooking and food shows on Netflix, “With Love, Meghan” dominated the category, outperforming established franchises like Chef’s Table, multiple Great British Baking Show seasons, and various Nailed It! iterations.

A Mutual Business Decision

Sources describe the split as amicable and strategic rather than performance-based:

• “There’s no animosity from either side,” insiders told multiple outlets
• Netflix “not unhappy with how things turned out”
• The platform “got those initial hits, and produced one of the most talked-about shows of all time”
• Decision reflects changing business priorities on both sides

The primary factor appears to be Meghan’s increasing focus on her “As Ever” lifestyle brand, with Netflix executives aware that “Meghan’s priority now is her own brand.”

The Success Story Hidden in Headlines

While initial reports emphasized disappointing numbers, the genre-specific data tells a different story:

• “With Love, Meghan” was the #1 cooking show on Netflix
• The show tied in overall viewership with established hits like “Suits” Season 4 and “Cobra Kai” Season 4
• It significantly outperformed major cooking competition shows and celebrity chef content

“Polo” was the clear underperformer at #3,436 with only 500K views, while the 2022 “Harry & Meghan” docuseries continues to attract viewers and remains Netflix’s second-most popular documentary.

Industry Context: Strategic Shifts

Netflix is moving away from large multi-year production deals toward project-specific investments. The Sussexes are pivoting toward direct business ownership, with Meghan’s lifestyle brand generating significant consumer interest and consistent sellouts.

Notably, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos previously praised Meghan’s cultural influence, saying she is “underestimated in terms of her influence on culture” and noting how their content generated widespread discussion.

The Real Performance Story

The Sussex-Netflix partnership delivered:

• One massive documentary hit that broke platform records
• The #1 cooking show on Netflix for 2025
• Significant cultural conversation and media coverage
• Strong performance in Meghan’s chosen lifestyle content space

Moving Forward

Season 2 of “With Love, Meghan” will still premiere this fall, and Netflix indicated openness to future project-specific collaborations. Reports suggest other streaming platforms may be interested in working with the couple.

Rather than a performance failure, this appears to be the natural evolution of both parties’ strategies—Netflix focusing on proven content creators while the Sussexes build their own business empire around Meghan’s successful lifestyle brand.

The data suggests that within her chosen genre, Meghan proved she could compete with and beat all established cooking franchises—making this less a story about content failure and more about strategic business pivots.