Watching Harry and Meghan's Oprah interview Down Under: A Guide for Australians

Published: 18:34 EDT, 2 March 2021 | Updated: 01:22 EDT, 3 March 2021

The explosive interview of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle with Oprah Winfrey is just days away from airing in the United States. However, it is still uncertain how Australians will have access to watch this highly-anticipated tell-all.

The interview will premiere on the CBS Television Network at 8pm PT/ET on Sunday, March 7, which is equivalent to 3pm AEDT on Monday, March 8.

Australian networks have yet to secure the rights to broadcast this groundbreaking interview, which is expected to escalate tensions between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and the British Royal Family.

After its initial release in the US, the footage is expected to be distributed globally, with rumors suggesting that UK broadcaster ITV has paid over $1.78 million for the rights.

However, due to complex arrangements between local networks, parent companies, broadcasting rights, and the potential high cost, it remains uncertain when and how the interview will be aired in Australia.

Nine Entertainment Co is believed to have the first opportunity to broadcast the interview due to its contract with 60 Minutes, which has already aired teasers for the special in the US. However, they have confirmed that they have not acquired the rights to air the entire TV special, which has the potential to rival Princess Diana's shocking interview on BBC Panorama in 1995.

Network 10 is now considered to be the frontrunner as it is owned by CBS, the network behind this highly-anticipated interview. However, they have neither confirmed nor denied securing the rights.

Channel 7 has stated that they have not obtained the rights to the content.

Television industry executive and editor of TV Blackbox, Robert McKnight, stated that it is likely the interview will air in Australia at a later date. He believes it may be featured as a special segment on The Project during prime time.

Leading up to Sunday's premiere, Australians can catch glimpses of the interview through snippets shared on Oprah's official social media accounts and CBS's official pages.

The 90-minute special has been extended to two hours, with Oprah promising viewers shocking revelations and no limitations on the topics discussed.

In a preview released earlier this week, Prince Harry reveals that he moved to Los Angeles with his family because he feared history repeating itself following the death of his mother, Princess Diana.

In the footage, Meghan, who is pregnant, is seen wearing a black Armani dress worth $4,700. She remains silent throughout and is shown appearing emotional while either cradling her baby bump or holding onto her husband's hand in the garden of their $19.6 million Montecito mansion.

CBS' Gayle King asserted that this exclusive interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle is Oprah's most exceptional work yet, prompting the decision to extend its duration from 90 minutes to two hours.

However, in a subtle indication that Meghan will not shy away from discussing Harry's family, Oprah discloses that the former actress describes her 20-month royal experience as "almost unsurvivable," with the interviewer herself branding Meghan's account as "shocking."

Donned in an elegant grey suit and white shirt, Harry also expresses his "relief and happiness" at having his wife at his side, implying his fear that Meghan would face a fate similar to that of his mother, who tragically passed away 23 years ago.

"I'm genuinely relieved and overjoyed to be sitting here conversing with you while my wife accompanies me because I can't even begin to fathom what it must have been like for her to endure this process alone all those years ago," he conveys to Ms. Winfrey in the brief 30-second clip.

"As arduous as it has been for us, at least we have each other."

DIANA'S EXPLOSIVE INTERVIEW: The princess converses with Martin Bashir on Panorama in 1995.

There will inevitably be unease at the palace since it has now come to light that Harry has chosen to make reference to Princess Diana, who tragically died in a car accident in Paris in 1997 alongside her partner Dodi Fayed.

Adding to the royal family's distress, CBS announced last night that the show's duration has been extended from 90 minutes to a two-hour special.

This extra half-hour will also enable CBS to generate more revenue through advertising, with a 30-second prime time slot allegedly costing around $200,000.

The esteemed journalist, based on the words of her close friend Gayle King, deems the interview—the viewership of which is expected to soar into the tens of millions worldwide—the most remarkable she has ever conducted.

According to Page Six, the Sussexes are not being remunerated for their appearance on Oprah's show, but experts opine that this is a strategic move to foster their billion-dollar brand in the United States, having already secured lucrative deals with Netflix and Spotify, collectively worth at least $100 million.

Oprah's interview follows Prince Harry's 17-minute conversation with his friend James Corden on the Late Late Show last week.

During that program, the Duke of Sussex stated that the relocation to California last year was about "stepping back instead of stepping down" from their prominent roles as royals.

Already, there is tension between Harry and his family after their perceived "highly disrespectful" remarks directed at the Queen upon the revocation of their patronages, which left Prince William and courtiers angered.

On Monday, it was revealed that the Queen would address the United Kingdom in a pre-recorded speech set to air on BBC One prior to Harry and Meghan's interview.