Is ‘Breaking Bad’ Leaving Netflix?

Has the time come for Netflix users to say goodbye to Walter White? Following reports that Breaking Bad is set to depart the streamer, it appears it may be so if Netflix and Sony Television do not come to an agreement to extend the license. But don’t fret, because there is still time to save this series!

According to an investigation published by The Wrap, the license for the AMC title is set to expire … on February 10, 2025. Yes, that’s two and a half years from now, so again, it’s not time to panic just yet. That’s plenty of time for Sony (which does not have a “home” streaming service of its own) and Netflix to negotiate a new license, or for a competitor to swoop in and take over the rights. Which way will it play out? We’ll just have to wait and see.

As noted by The Wrap, the ever-evolving door of what we can stream on Netflix is due to the increasing rivalry amongst streaming platforms, aka the Streaming Wars, which result in library shows like this hopping from service to service (see also: the move of Friends from Netflix to HBO Max, or the move of The Office from Netflix to Peacock). Per What’s on Netflix, the streamer’s library has shrunk by 35% since 2015.

Breaking Bad, which aired five seasons from 2008 to 2013, had the third most-watched series finale in cable history. It even led to a Netflix-exclusive sequel film, El Camino, and the Bob Odenkirk-led prequel series, Better Call Saul, which is currently airing its sixth and final season on AMC.

Other series with expiring licenses include New Girl (April 10, 2023), How to Get Away with Murder (Oct. 1, 2024), and Supernatural (Dec. 18, 2025).

Decider has reached out to Netflix and Sony Pictures for a statement.