Spotify recently announced a multi-year agreement with Archewell Audio, a production company established by Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, and Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, as part of its ongoing strategy to secure exclusive podcast content and surpass its competitors. While the financial terms of the agreement remain confidential, considering the prominence of the individuals involved and the expenses associated with prior exclusive deals, it is reasonable to assume a substantial investment was made.

The initial complete podcast series from this partnership is anticipated to launch sometime in 2021 and will be available at no cost to all Spotify users. Prior to the series debut, Archewell and Gimlet, a studio owned by Spotify, will collaborate on a special holiday episode featuring the Duke and Duchess as co-hosts, planned for release later this month. Throughout the duration of the agreement, the pair will continue to be involved in both the production and hosting of podcast programs.

The following statement was jointly released by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to Spotify:

Over the last few years, Spotify has dedicated significant financial resources – amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars – to developing a collection of podcasts available exclusively on its platform. Just last month, the music streaming service acquired Megaphone, an advertising company, for $235 million. Other notable acquisitions include Gimlet, The Ringer, Parcast, and Anchor. The company also secured a multi-year agreement with Joe Rogan, a well-known personality, for a sum exceeding $100 million.