The eagerly awaited spin-off of Breaking Bad, the critically acclaimed cable television series, will air first in big international markets on Netflix in a deal that affirms the new global heft of streaming online video.
Netflix has acquired the rights to Better Call Saul from Sony Pictures Television, which produced Breaking Bad , the story of a chemistry teacher turned drugs kingpin. It will screen the spin-off in the UK and Ireland, Scandinavia and Latin America before it is shown on television.
Based on the shady lawyer Saul Goodman from Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul will air first on Netflix in territories where the company’s service is offered. Netflix and SPT declined to comment on the value of the deal, which will be announced on Monday.
The agreement has big implications for the international television licensing industry. US-based television producers and studios usually negotiate with international broadcasters on a region by region basis.
But Netflix’s global expansion – the company has grown to more than 40m subscribers – and increasing consumer appetite for on-demand, streaming internet video, has changed the market.
Netflix will show each episode internationally almost immediately after its US broadcast. Steve Mosko, president of SPT, said this would help curb piracy. “The odds of it being pirated decrease the closer it is shown to the date that it airs in the US,” he said. “We love the fact that it will stream around the world . . . it will create global attention for the programme.”
In the US and Canada, Better Call Saul will air first on AMC, the cable channel that also broadcast SPT’s Breaking Bad. Netflix has the right to screen the new series in the US and Canada immediately after its run on AMC.
Breaking Bad became a knockout commercial and critical hit around the world, winning this year’s Emmy for best drama and inviting comparisons with HBO’s The Sopranos.
“It was one of the most sought after properties and the fact that we are able to get Saul . . . shows that over the top [viewing] has arrived,” said Ted Sarandos, chief content officer for Netflix, referring to streaming services that cut out the need for cable or satellite subscriptions.
Netflix shares have tripled this year since the launch of its own original series, such as House of Cards and Orange is the New Black. The company now competes with top cable channels for the best programming and has helped fuel interest in long-running shows by making older episodes available.
In the US, AMC’s ratings for Breaking Bad doubled in its final season thanks to viewers being able to catch up on the show on Netflix.
In the UK, Breaking Bad briefly appeared on Channel Five. But when the broadcaster stopped showing the series, Netflix – which had only recently launched in the UK – began airing it, which helped build awareness for the new service and momentum for the programme.