Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s lucrative £18million Spotify deal came to an end as it failed to spark the interest of viewers, chief executive Daniel Ek said.
The Spotify boss claimed – just four months after it was announced that the Sussexe’s Archetypes podcast would get axed – that some of Spotify’s innovative ideas have not gone to plan.
He told the BBC: “We thought new innovation was needed to happen here.
“We thought we can come in and offer a great experience that both makes consumers very happy and allows new creators new avenues.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s deal was “mutually” ended last June after sources claimed there was not enough content produced to warrant the full payout.
Last year, Spotify also ended its deal with Barack and Michell Obama’s production company.
And top Spotify podcast executive Bill Simmons had blasted Prince Harry and Meghan Markle after the couple produced 12 episodes in two years.
He described the couple as “f****** grifters”, an Americanism for swindlers.
He said: “The f***ing grifters. That’s the podcast we should have launched with them.
“I’ve got to get drunk one night and tell the story of the Zoom I had with Harry to try and help him with a podcast idea. It’s one of my best stories.”
