By Doug Norrie
| Posted 23 hours ago
As a streamer, Netflix is still the most used in the United States when it comes to the number of families subscribed to the platform. He’s been in charge of a great deal of original programming over the past few years, but he cut his teeth right from the start by signing deals with established production companies and networks to bring shows and movies before your eyes. For some of these series, there was a mutual benefit in establishing a larger fan base. One of the first shows Netflix ever truly “saved” was Breaking Bad and it has long been one of the most popular offers. Now it looks like they will eventually lose the series when it comes off the platform. There is plenty of time to check out Walter White, Jesse Pinkman and the rest of the crew. But it won’t be forever.
According to The Wrap (via Movie Web), Breaking Bad is one of many shows that see an end date on Netflix. It will be February 10, 2025, which will mark the end of the race for those who want to gorge on the story on the platform. This will complement a 15-year run on Netflix with Breaking Bad being one of the truly noteworthy subscriber shows of the era. And among other popular offerings leaving Netflix around and before that date of 2025 will be Community, NCIS, How to Get Away With Murder, and 30 Rock.
In 2010, well before they committed to original programming, Netflix was at the forefront of moving to streaming as a new way to interact with content. Being one of the first out there meant they needed shows and movies to satiate an ever-growing audience. It was then that they entered into a deal with AMC to stream Breaking Bad’s first three seasons on the platform. The deal worked on several levels. For starters, it became a very popular offering for Netflix that was just seeing the effects of binge-watching from their growing audience.
And switching to Netflix also helped Breaking Bad. The audience on AMC had been around 1.2-1.5 million for the first three seasons. But prior to season 4, Netflix had put all the episodes so viewers could binge and “catch up” before the premiere. It seemed to have worked. With a new group of fans ready to follow the story, Breaking Bad has seen its numbers increase for season 4, climbing to roughly 1.9 million viewers per episode. And then seasons 5 and 6 were where the real magic happened with the number climbing to an average of 4.3 million in the last run of the series. Did Netflix “save” Breaking Bad? It’s not entirely clear, but the deal clearly helped the show stay valid.
