Meghan Markle rakes in huge six-figure sum from the sale of her TV drama Suits to broadcasters around the world (including the BBC)
Meghan Markle has made a six-figure sum from selling her TV drama Suits to broadcasters around the world, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.
The series ended in 2019, but recently made a surprising comeback on Netflix, selling to over 240 countries on every continent, and its stars are still making money off it.
Media giant NBCUniversal, which is handling sales for the series, has remained tight-lipped about exactly how much in royalties actors earn from the deals, but it is estimated the Duchess of Sussex has earned nearly $200,000 (£155,000) from Netflix alone.
That’s on top of the amount she was originally paid per episode for the role of temperamental paralegal Rachel Zane from 2011 until 2017, when she quit to become engaged to Prince Harry.
But instead of fading into obscurity, the series broke records last year when it aired on Netflix and US platform Peacock, becoming the most streamed series of 2023, topping the charts for 12 weeks.
Meghan Markle has raked in a six-figure sum selling her TV drama Suits to broadcasters around the world
Meghan’s series has seen a resurgence in popularity since it ended in 2019, exporting to 240 territories. The Duchess of Sussex has earned nearly $200,000 through Netflix alone
The surprise success prompted the BBC to use its licence fee payers’ money to outbid ITV and buy the UK rights to iPlayer.
The company has not disclosed how much money was spent on the deal or whether the duchess benefited financially from it.
When asked about the show’s revival last year, the Duchess described its success as “wild” and added that she had “no idea” what was behind it.
An NBC source confirmed that “lead artists” like Meghan receive royalties, also known as “residuals,” from worldwide sales. These royalties are typically a percentage of the deal price.
According to an estimate by the media website Deadline, Netflix paid $37.5 million (£29.5 million) for the Suits licence, with the six main actors sharing 3.6 per cent of that amount.
That would mean Meghan could have earned nearly $200,000 from the 108 episodes she appeared in with this deal alone.
The surprise salaries will be a bonus for the Sussexes, whose palatial mansion in Montecito, California, has a £7.3million mortgage
Most observers agree that the revival of the show – which has now spawned a spin-off series – was due to the public’s “fascination” with the Duchess.
Entertainment expert Mark Boardman told Newsweek last year: ‘Meghan Markle’s global fame has undeniably increased the show’s profile.
‘Meghan’s critics are also very curious about her performances and want to understand her personality better.’
The surprise paychecks are a perk for the Sussexes, whose palatial mansion in Montecito, California, has a £7.3 million mortgage. A spokesman for Meghan declined to comment.