Breaking Bad fans were treated to some bittersweet news when it was announced that Sony Pictures Television (the company that owns the rights to the show) extended its license with Netflix until April 18, 2027. This feels like a sweet relief in that Breaking Bad was originally expected to be taken off the streamer on February 10. Its also, however, a reminder that the bond between the AMC series and the premier streamer requires perpetual negotiations to maintain. If the marriage between Breaking Bad and Netflix does end in divorce in 2027, it would end the most mutually beneficial relationship between a series and a streaming service in TV history.Breaking Bad wasnt always the unstoppable pop cultural train it evolved into by the fifth and final seasons climax in 2013. In fact, the live viewership numbers for Breaking Bad were more indicative of a niche, a cult-like crime drama with a dedicated fan base but certainly not any mainstream infatuation. The only episode of the series to get over two million live viewers before season 5 was the fourth season premiere, Box Cutter.A little bit of astute historical recollection will let you know that these increased numbers entering season 4 were no coincidence. Breaking Bad premiered on Netflix right before the fourth season premiere in 2011. Box Cutter debuted on July 17, 2011. When you consider the third season finale ended on one of the series most captivating cliffhangers and new fans had binged the first three seasons right around this time, Netflix has a valid claim for propelling Walter Whites (Bryan Cranston) blue meth into the mainstream.Its also vital to give Breaking Bad an equal amount of credit for its own success and that of Netflixs growth, though. In 2011 Netflix hadnt even launched its original content yet. House of Cards was the first homemade series for the streamer and that didnt roll around for another two years. At this time Netflix was only known for syndicating others content, but never had it possessed something as exquisitely binge-able as Breaking Bad.Vince Gilligans show was an exemplary maiden voyage for Netflix into what felt like uncharted territory. Because the series was so unknown up to this point, Breaking Bads appearance on Netflix almost made it feel like the streaming services first pseudo-original series. This was the platform the majority of TV fans were introduced to Breaking Bad. The series gut-wrenching mix of violence, human tragedy, and episodic cliffhangers worked well in the form of binging. Walter Whites story exuded novelty while simultaneously demonstrating Netflixs ability to convey his arc in the most addicting manner possible.By July 2015, Netflix was proud to announce a 500% increase in revenue in the last half-decade. Breaking Bad just ended two years prior and continued to amass new viewers in the aftermath of its most legendary episodes during the last half of season 5. Word-of-mouth and Netflixs increased viewership put both the show itself and the streaming service on a parallel trajectory to the top of the TV food chain. Ask most people where they first saw Walters tighty whities and its probably going to be Netflix. On the other side of the same coin, if you ask many folks why they subscribed to the streaming service, Breaking Bad would be one of the first reasons to leave their mouths.When the next contract is up between the show and the streamer it will be 16 years since the partnership began. In that decade and a half, Netflix has continued to remain the most culturally relevant and financially successful streaming service in the world while Breaking Bad has started to age into its Mount Rushmore phase of retirement. Almost any list of the best shows ever has it within or near the top four. The greatness of this story and the medium through which it was told should always be appreciated and remembered fondly within the TV industry and by fans.Breaking Bad was fresh, cinematic, and grappled with themes that were rarely touched upon in television before. It needed a platform to thrive on just as Netflix needed a flagship example of its potential. If this is the end of it all in 2027, both parties will remain powerhouses on their own but they would never have gotten to the top of the game without each other. Breaking Bad and Netflix mirrored each other: they were the evolution of long-form stories and the seminal example of 21st-century television and its future.