Another blow for Prince Harry and Meghan as their series Polo fails to crack Netflix’s top ten in any region
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Netflix documentary series Polo failed to secure a spot in the top ten rankings in Britain, the U.S., or any other regional market on the platform.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, listed as executive producers, released the five-part series on December 10. Despite Harry’s lifelong connection to polo, the show received harsh reviews from both critics and audiences, as reported by Newsweek.
The series had minimal promotional efforts, relying solely on a YouTube trailer and featuring a brief two-line statement from Harry, 40, on Netflix’s website.
“This series offers an unprecedented look at the passion and determination behind the world’s elite polo players, revealing the grit behind the glamour,” Prince Harry said, adding, “We’re proud to showcase the true depth and spirit of the sport and its high-stakes moments.”
Fans may be disappointed to learn that Harry and Meghan, 43, appear only in the opening sequence and final episode, filmed at a charity polo event in Wellington, Florida.
According to a source from Closer, the couple had little control over the show’s direction, as producers leaned toward a reality-TV style to appeal to a broader audience.
Polo follows competitors in the U.S. Open Polo Championship, focusing on dramatic storylines like a player’s on-field injury and a father-son rivalry.
However, critics, including Eric Schiffer of Reputation Management Consultants, were unimpressed.
He described it as “a pompous portrayal of privilege” that is “unrelatable and disconnected,” adding, “It feels fake, like an ad for insomnia, brought to you by royalty.”
Netflix declined to comment on the show’s viewership numbers.
The Guardian’s Stuart Heritage gave Polo a two-star review, calling it Prince Harry’s “unintentionally hilarious profile of the world’s stupidest sport,” adding that it felt like a spoof with its overly dramatic moments.
The Times labeled the show “tedious” and “utterly unrelatable,” saying Harry made a show only he would watch.
The series received a poor 27% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. This marks another failure in a series of streaming projects by Harry and Meghan, who signed a $100 million deal with Netflix in 2020.
Their previous projects, including Live to Lead (15% on Rotten Tomatoes) and Heart of Invictus, also struggled to find a consistent audience and received negative reviews.
