Harry and Meghan could earn $100M a year through live shows and stadium tours, say experts
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's recent rebranding as the Archewell Foundation following their exit from the royal family could see them earn close to $100 million a year, experts have revealed.
MEA WorldWide (MEAWW) had previously reported that the couple had announced the launching of the foundation, which will replace the Sussex Royal brand, last week after filing the paperwork for the same in the US.
Details from the filing obtained by the Express show it includes applications to trademark live shows, recorded performances, health services, counseling, lectures, and workshops, all of which indicate that they are trying to follow in the footsteps of good friend Oprah Winfrey.
In nine dates across the US earlier this year, Oprah's 2020 Vision tour raised more than $39 million in just ticket sales, with profits from souvenirs, programs, books, and DVDs pushing that number up to $99 million.
The 66-year-old will reportedly announce the details of a new AppleTV+ series she has been making with Harry within the next few weeks. As a part of the series, he will be visiting British hospitals to talk to military casualties about the psychological effect of post-traumatic stress disorder.
"They intend to be their own brand and they wouldn't deliberately copy anyone. But Oprah is a great role model and there isn't anything she doesn't know about or hasn't tried in the entertainment industry," one source close to the couple said. "It's been a very steep learning curve, especially for Harry. But they trust her sound judgment."
The all-day shows that Oprah currently co-hosts with Weight Watchers includes live confessional interviews with A-list stars such as Lady Gaga, Kate Hudson, Jennifer Lopez, and former First Lady Michelle Obama.
Attendees are encouraged to participate in early-morning mass dance and diagnosis sessions that assist in physical and mental wellbeing and are also given lunch vouchers that are included as a part of their $69-$299 tickets.
Harry and Meghan are looking to borrow this blueprint, and their star appeal and retail branding power will mean they could be just as successful as the media mogul, according to experts.
If they did go ahead with these plans, it wouldn't necessarily mean they are copying Oprah either, "This tradition goes all the way back to the Great Depression Era touring shows of the 1930s," one industry expert shared.
"People would come along, marvel at the show and maybe take some sort of health cure before it rolled on to another city."
Besides the stadium tours, Harry and Meghan could also be earning enormous sums of money by speaking publicly at events hosted by others.
GDA Speakers, whose clients include the likes of Nicole Kidman and Diane Keaton, had predicted that each of them could, quite easily, command more than the standard rates of $200,000 to $300,000 that most celebrities earn by speaking at non-profits and volunteer-based organizations.
Sports agent Darren Prince had similarly revealed that they could bank at least $8 million to $10 million in just the advance alone if they agree to a book deal and that the final amount could be much higher as they could ostensibly spark a massive bidding war for their stories.