Spotify Laying Off 200 Employees in Its Podcast Division

Meghan Markle couldn't land Taylor Swift as a guest on her podcast. Amid drama surrounding Meghan and her husband, Prince Harry's, media deals,  published a new report with bombshell claims about the Sussexes.In the article, the outlet says that Meghan wrote Taylor a personal letter asking her to appear on , the podcast the Duchess of Sussex hosted about the stereotypes that hold women back.

Meghan Markle sent Taylor Swift a handwritten invitation to appear on her now cancelled podcast but the pop superstar declined the offer.

Prince Harry reportedly wanted to controversially interview Vlamidir Putin and Donald Trump about their childhood in a Spotify podcast.

Trevor Noah has his sights set on the world of podcasting.

After news dropped that Spotify would not renew Meghan Markle’s podcast contract, reports came out alleging that the Duchess of Sussex did little work on her own show for which she was under contract with the streaming company for $20 million. According to a report from Podnews.net, multiple sources claimed that part of the work done on Markle’s "Archetype" podcast show was done by other staffers, and that her voice and questions were edited into the audio after the episodes or interviews had been recorded.  Senior Spotify podcast executive Bill Simmons seemed to corroborate these claims during recent episode of his podcast, calling both Markle and her husband, Prince Harry "f------ grifters." Allegations of Markle’s laziness in producing her own podcast swirled again after Spotify ended its deal with the "Archetypes" podcast last week.The show, produced under Markle and Prince Harry’s podcast company, Archewell Audio, only ran twelve episodes.

ESPN pundit Stephen A. Smith touched on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s decision to leave Spotify during an episode of his own podcast, following Bill Simmons, who torched the two last week. Harry and Meghan inked a deal with Spotify in 2020.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in the wake of the recent news that they've stepped away from their Spotify deal.After the Duke and Duchess of Sussex backed out of their $20 million deal with the music and podcast streaming service, Bill Simmons, who sold his podcast to Spotify in 2020 and is also Head of Podcast Innovation and Monetization at the company, called Harry and Meghan «f**king grifters» on his eponymous podcast on Friday.«The f**king grifters. That’s the podcast we shoulda launched with them,» he said.

Netflix may be about to part ways from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, according to the claims of one royal commentator.

Meghan Markle has been accused of faking her podcast after a Spotify executive labelled her and Prince Harry "f***ing grifters".

Trevor Noah is moving into podcasting.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Trevor Noah, who left as host of “The Daily Show” in late 2022, is bringing his comedic voice to an original Spotify weekly podcast set to debut later this year.The weekly podcast will blend Noah’s “signature humor and razor-sharp wit with his global perspective to deliver a unique take on the hottest and most captivating topics of the moment,” according to Spotify. The series (whose name is TBD) will also feature in-depth interviews between Noah and “some of the most influential and interesting figures around the world,” the company said.While Noah’s podcast will be a “Spotify original,” it will not be exclusive to the streamer: The show will be available to listen to across numerous platforms.

Spotify’s breakup with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, a new report alleges that Markle’s interviews for her “Archetypes” podcast were not conducted by her.Podnews reported that some of the show’s interviews were done by members of the duchess’ staff — and audio of her voice asking the questions was clipped in later.The Post has reached out to representatives for Markle and Archewell Audio for comment.The revelations come shortly after Spotify and Archewell said in a joint statement to The Post that they have “mutually agreed to part ways and are proud of the series we made together.”A source previously told The Post that the Archewell media company launched by Harry, 38, and Markle, 41, didn’t produce enough content to receive the full payout of the $20 million deal they agreed to in 2020.However, “Meghan is continuing to develop more content for the ‘Archetypes’ audience on another platform,” an Archewell Productions spokeswoman told the Wall Street Journal.Sportswriter and podcaster Bill Simmons slammed the couple in the wake of the fractured deal, saying he once met with Harry about podcast ideas and calling the pair “f–king grifters” in Friday’s episode of his namesake podcast.Speculation that Markle doesn’t directly interview her guests started circulating when writer Allison Yarrow shared on Instagram in August that she was “excited to be included in the visionary series.”Yet the post showed Yarrow posing in front of a sign for the audio production house Gimlet Media — and included thanks to an “Archetypes” producer for being “an excellent interviewer.”Yarrow — author of “90s Bitch: Media, Culture, and the Failed Promise of Gender Equality” — appeared on the podcast in an episode titled “To ‘B’ or Not To ‘B,’ ” in

Podnews. Instead, sources say her interview questions were edited in afterwards.Markle and Prince Harry’s podcast in question ran 12 episodes and was part of a $20 million Spotify contract, the likes of which may not be paid in full because Meghan Markle and Prince Harry didn’t meet their deal’s productivity requirements (as reported by the Wall Street Journal).“Not bad for 12 hours work,” said former chief economist at Spotify Will Page (at the 27-minute mark in the Podnews podcast), referencing the pair’s financial gains resulting from a relatively small output of work.Based on Podnews’ report, Markle didn’t conduct the “Archetypes” podcasts herself and instead only lent voice clips for editing in after the fact.

On Friday some bombshell news dropped about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Or should we say there was a bombshell about being “dropped”?

pulled the plug on their $20 million podcast deal with Spotify this week, Bill Simmons, the streamer’s head of podcast innovation and monetization and CEO of The Ringer, called them “f—ing grifters” on the latest episode of his podcast.The deal, which was struck in 2020, resulted in only one show, the one-season, Markle-hosted “Archetypes.”“I wish I had been involved in the ‘Meghan and Harry’ leave Spotify negotiation, the f–ing grifters,” he told guest Joe House on Friday’s episode of “The Bill Simmons Podcast.” “I gotta get drunk one night and tell the story of the Zoom I had with Harry to help him with a podcast idea. It’s one of my best stories.

Charna Flam Bill Simmons, the Ringer founder and head of podcast innovation and monetization at Spotify, recently ridiculed Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on his podcast, labeling the couple as “fucking grifters” Simmons’ comment follows the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Thursday announcement that their production company, Archewell, had severed ties with the audio company. The pair inked a $20 million deal with Spotify in 2020. “‘The Fucking Grifters.’ That’s the podcast we shoulda launched with them,” said Simmons on his self-titled podcast. “I gotta get drunk one night and tell the story of the Zoom I had with Harry to try and help him with a podcast idea. It’s one of my best stories.”

On Friday, it was reported that Spotify cut ties with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, kiboshing the royals’ $20-million podcast deal with the music streaming service after just 12 episodes of Markle’s “Archetypes” podcast were produced.

Bill Simmons, who sold The Ringer to Spotify in 2020 and has risen through the tech company’s executive ranks, derided Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on his podcast Friday as “f–king grifters.”

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Yahoo hired Ryan Spoon, a former ESPN and BetMGM executive, as the new president of Yahoo Sports. Spoon replaces Jon Shaw, who had served as interim general manager of Yahoo Sports; Shaw will continue in a leadership role at Yahoo Sports reporting to Spoon, who reports directly to Yahoo CEO Jim Lanzone. Spoon is responsible for leading growth at the internet media company’s sports vertical and “positioning it for a new generation of sports fans,” the company said in announcing his hire. Spoon has a wealth of experience across the sports and digital media industry. Most recently, he was COO at Sorare, a startup in NFT-based fantasy sports, where he played a critical role in its expansion into the U.S. market and launching Sorare: NBA and Sorare: MLB.

The Sussexes have separated from Spotify, Deadline has confirmed.