One of the topics of conversation I thought we would get in the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s interview with Oprah was an update on their Netflix and Spotify deals. While Oprah asked about the deals, it was in a general way, no specifics. While it’s been widely assumed that they would only announce their upcoming projects when they had everything nailed down, I do think it’s odd that we haven’t really heard much about either of those deals. Like, when is the next Archewell podcast coming? When is a Netflix docu-series about menstruation and/or girls’ education in developing countries coming? Oprah didn’t ask and the vibe is that they’re still putting the pieces together of their media empire. Vanity Fair has a story with tons of quotes from industry insiders about whether Meghan and Harry’s podcasting and Netflix projects will still have the same kind of appeal as the Oprah interview.

Post-interview, are people now all the more interested in hearing from them? “All the more,” said Tina Brown, who covered the royal family both as editor of Vanity Fair and author of the definitive biography on Harry’s late mother, Princess Diana. “They reached a whole new audience who now can’t wait to see what happens next.” Media analyst Rich Greenfield of LightShed Partners likewise told me, “I think this clearly shows, whatever their profile was beforehand in the U.S. and globally, it’s clearly that much larger now.”

BLM meets The Crown?? A Hollywood source who knows their way around a streaming deal had a similarly upbeat but slightly moderated take: “I think the crossover appeal—Black Lives Matter meets The Crown—is a fever pitch opportunity. I’m just not sure how they capture that magic, and not sure it’s commercially sustainable at Oprah ratings levels. That said, she is an actress, and I think they know precisely what they are doing.”

Hollywood insiders don’t actually know what’s happening with Archewell: Details for Archewell’s programming are so far scant. The multiyear Netflix deal will reportedly cover documentaries, docuseries, feature films, scripted shows, and children’s programming, but aside from an inspirational animated series for women, we don’t know what any of those will be. (The Hollywood Reporter did however reveal last week that Archewell recently hired veteran producer Ben Browning from FilmNation Entertainment.) The audio plans are even more under wraps. “Spotify is cagier on Archewell stuff than Higher Ground stuff. It’s like the f–king nuclear code over there,” said podcasting guru Nick Quah, who publishes the newsletter Hot Pod.

They’re still building their podcasting team? “The Holiday Special performed well and we’re looking forward to whatever comes next,” a Spotify spokesman told me. “They’re in the process of building their team now and looking at similar deals à la Higher Ground, [and] should be ready to announce the first series in a few months.” (Spotify’s Higher Ground portfolio so far includes The Michelle Obama Podcast, a podcast hosted by Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen, and a show dedicated to Muslim voices called Tell Them, I Am.)

Insiders want them to do a personal pod: “Talk about the perfect entrée to launch a podcast series, because that’s about you personally,” said Greenfield. “I have less clarity on what this means for Netflix, but it’s very clear from a Spotify standpoint, that if they’re hosting, moderating, participating in a regular podcast series or limited series, this type of massive global promotion and visibility is great for them. This is clearly a win for Spotify.”

What Nick Quah thinks of podcasting about personal stuff: “My interpretation is that the juicy tell-all opens up an interesting initial ramp for them,” he told me over email. “I imagine there’s a ton of energy right now around people wondering the meta-question of how they will proceed to build their lives and public presence in the wake of ethering the royal family. But they occupy this really strange space within celebrity, right? You’re either known for what you’re good at (artists, musicians, actors, etc.), or you’re known for your constant engagement and visibility (influencers etc.), or sometimes both. I’m not quite sure how their distinct currency of fame, which almost feels passive and reactive, will fit within this rubric.”

[From Vanity Fair]

I genuinely lol’d at “how they will proceed to build their lives and public presence in the wake of ethering the royal family.” OMG!! I’m going to call it that now. The Sussexes ethered the Windsors. Bless them. As for all of this… yeah, I’m skeptical, in general. Netflix and Spotify clearly will stick around to see what kind of return they get on their investment. I think Meghan will likely want every “I” dotted and every “t” crossed and they’ll assemble a great team for their production company and podcasting company. But I do wish they were moving faster on all of this. Also: I’ve heard many, many rumors for months – and not just in the British tabloids – that H&M did film stuff during the past year or so, so a docu-series about themselves might not be off the table. They could frame it as a docu-series about “Building Archewell” or something.

Photos courtesy of WENN.