The Shocking Truth Behind 'With Love, Meghan' Season 2 Ratings: Did Netflix Pull The Plug?
The highly anticipated second season of Meghan Markle's lifestyle series, With Love, Meghan, has reportedly faced a significant ratings challenge, sparking intense speculation about the future of the Duchess of Sussex's multi-million dollar deal with Netflix. As of late December 2025, third-party viewership trackers and industry reports indicate a substantial drop-off from the already mixed performance of the first season, raising serious questions regarding the show’s long-term viability and the overall success of the Archewell Productions partnership with the streaming giant.
The performance of the show’s second run is a critical barometer for Meghan Markle’s pivot from royal life to Hollywood executive, especially amid the launch of her new lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, and the nearing expiration of her initial five-year Netflix contract. The latest figures suggest that while the Duchess remains a global curiosity, translating that interest into consistent, high-volume streaming numbers for a lifestyle format is proving to be a difficult task for the production team.
Meghan Markle: A Brief Biography and Executive Profile
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, was born Rachel Meghan Markle on August 4, 1981, in Los Angeles, California.
- Full Name: Rachel Meghan Markle
- Date of Birth: August 4, 1981
- Place of Birth: Los Angeles, California, U.S.
- Spouse: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (m. 2018)
- Children: Prince Archie of Sussex and Princess Lilibet of Sussex
- Education: Northwestern University (Theater and International Relations)
- Acting Career Highlight: Portraying Rachel Zane in the legal drama series Suits (2011–2018).
- Post-Royal Ventures: Co-founder of Archewell Productions and the Archewell Foundation with Prince Harry.
- Major Deals: Signed a reported $100 million five-year production deal with Netflix in 2020.
- Newest Venture: Launched the lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard (later reportedly rebranded to 'As Ever') in 2024/2025, focusing on home, garden, food, and general lifestyle products.
Her transition from a successful actress to a senior working member of the British Royal Family, and then to a media executive in Montecito, California, has been one of the most scrutinized career shifts in modern history. The success of her Netflix projects, including With Love, Meghan, is seen as a crucial measure of her commercial and creative viability outside the royal sphere.
The Steep Drop: Season 2 Viewership Metrics Revealed
The initial fanfare surrounding the launch of With Love, Meghan Season 1 in 2024 yielded mixed results. While the show garnered significant attention and was, for a time, cited as Netflix's most-watched culinary show, critical reception was lukewarm, with a notably low Rotten Tomatoes score.
The debut of Season 2 in 2025, however, saw a dramatic downturn in performance, according to multiple independent tracking sources. Reports indicate that the second season failed to make the coveted Netflix Top 10 global chart in its premiere week, a critical benchmark for the streamer's renewal decisions.
Key Ratings Comparisons (Season 1 vs. Season 2):
- First Week Viewership: Industry analysts estimate that With Love, Meghan Season 2 had at least 500,000 fewer viewers in its first week compared to the debut of Season 1.
- Samba TV Data: Season 1’s debut was tracked by Samba TV to have drawn approximately 526,000 U.S. households, suggesting the Season 2 figure is significantly lower.
- Ratings Graph Trend: One ratings aggregator showed an alarming trend, with a Season 1 score of 1,774.4 plummeting to a Season 2 score of 318.8, indicating a massive decline in engagement or perceived value.
- Engagement Score: The series reportedly ranked #1,448 overall on one tracking site in late 2025, with a low engagement score of 0.3, ranking it outside the top 100 in the Reality category.
This steep decline suggests that the initial curiosity factor that drove Season 1's viewership has largely dissipated. The audience appears to be less interested in the Duchess's curated lifestyle content, particularly as the show’s themes often overlap with her personal brand, American Riviera Orchard. The content, which focuses on cooking, gardening, entertaining, and friendship, is struggling to find a distinct identity in the crowded streaming landscape.
The Archewell-Netflix Deal: Under Pressure in 2025
The ratings for With Love, Meghan are not just a reflection of one show’s performance; they are a crucial indicator of the overall health of the Duke and Duchess’s partnership with Netflix. The initial five-year, $100 million deal signed in 2020 is reportedly set to expire in September 2025.
The low performance of the lifestyle series, coupled with the prior cancellation of the animated series Pearl, has fueled rumors that Netflix may choose not to renew the lucrative contract. However, Archewell Productions has been actively developing other projects to demonstrate value and secure a renewal, including:
- Heart of Invictus: A documentary series focusing on Prince Harry’s passion project, the Invictus Games.
- Polo: A new documentary series centered on the world of professional polo, a sport closely associated with Prince Harry.
- The Wedding Date: A newly announced rom-com adaptation, marking a shift toward fictional, scripted content.
- Live to Lead: A documentary series showcasing the stories of inspirational leaders.
Industry experts note that Netflix’s renewal decisions are based on a complex set of metrics beyond simple first-week views, including completion rate, subscriber acquisition, and the global buzz the content generates. While With Love, Meghan’s ratings are a clear disappointment, the strategic value of the couple's celebrity and their ability to produce other, more successful formats—like the documentary work—could still be the factor that saves the Netflix deal.
What the Ratings Mean for American Riviera Orchard
The timing of the show’s poor performance is particularly challenging given the launch of Meghan’s new lifestyle brand. The brand, initially called American Riviera Orchard and later rumored to be rebranded to 'As Ever', is meant to capitalize on the Duchess’s personal brand and her Montecito aesthetic.
The series With Love, Meghan was widely seen as a promotional vehicle for this new venture, showcasing the kind of elevated, aspirational content that the brand aims to embody. The low viewership for the show, therefore, is a direct challenge to the commercial viability of American Riviera Orchard. If the Duchess cannot draw a large audience to watch her demonstrate the lifestyle products, it raises concerns about her ability to convert that audience into paying customers for her jams, home goods, and other merchandise.
The Duchess and Archewell are now in a crucial period. The focus will likely shift heavily toward the performance of their documentary and scripted projects, as well as the commercial success of the American Riviera Orchard brand, to justify the immense investment made by Netflix and to secure their position in the competitive world of high-profile media production. The Season 2 ratings for With Love, Meghan serve as a stark warning that celebrity alone is not enough to guarantee a streaming hit.
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