After carrying out a lot of research and testing, our team determined the best legal way to watch Breaking Bad online is Netflix which offers every episode and season of the series from the beginning.
If you are outside of the United States and Netflix is restricted in your country or Breaking Bad is not available in your Netflix region, then you can utilize a service like NordVPN. This is a legal loophole that can spoof your location to the US and provide access to stream all of the Breaking Bad seasons on Netflix.
If you don't have a Netflix subscription or you don't live in the US, our best alternative method is to rent or purchase the digital rights to Breaking Bad from Amazon starting at $0.99 per episode (rent) or $9.99 per season (own).
Quick Navigation: Jump To A SectionWhich Streaming Services Offer Breaking Bad? (US)How To Watch Breaking Bad Online (Seasons 1-5)Why Is Breaking Bad Not Available On Hulu Or Prime Video?3 Reasons To Not Pirate Or Illegally Watch Breaking Bad Episodes
AMC has produced many great series in the past decade including The Walking Dead, but Breaking Bad remains one of their best series of all time with a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 9.5 out of 10 on IMDb.
The crime drama created by Vince Gilligan first aired on January 20th, 2008 and ran for five seasons spanning 62 episodes. Since its inception, Breaking Bad has become a cult classic especially among the millennial audience and has resulted in a spin-off series called Better Call Saul.
To date, Breaking Bad had been nominated for 262 notable awards and won a whopping 110 of them. These honors included Golden Globes, Primetime Emmys, Critic's Choice Awards and Screen Actors Guild Awards with Bryan Cranston taking home several for his leading role portraying Walter White. His co-star, Aaron Paul, also took home several honors for his efforts acting as Jesse Pinkman.
Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul have both won Primetime Emmys for their roles in Breaking Bad.
Based on the fact that you are reading this article, you either missed out on Breaking Bad in its entirety while it was on the air or you stopped watching at some point for some reason or another.
Thankfully, you can still catch up this epic television series from the beginning or where-ever you may have left off. We were in this situation too and only discovered our love for Breaking Bad several years after the first season of the show had aired live on AMC.
As of right now, there are several methods to stream Breaking Bad online, and a few of them won't cost you any money if you are already a subscriber to some popular video streaming services. Throughout the remainder of this guide, we will cover the methods of Breaking Bad streaming and do our best to find you a viable solution that falls within your needs or budget.
Which Streaming Services Offer Breaking Bad? (US)
How To Watch Breaking Bad Online (Seasons 1-5)
Netflix
As the leader in video streaming services, Netflix has one of the best libraries for past seasons of popular TV series. They offer instant streaming access to the entire 5 seasons of Breaking Bad with no advertising for as low as $7.99 per month.
If you already have a Netflix subscription or have a roommate/friend/family member that allows you to use their account, then you can get started streaming Breaking Bad right now.
However, if you don't have a Netflix account and have never had one, then you can sign-up for their free 30-day trial (credit card required for validation) and binge a season or two within the month at no cost. Just be sure to cancel your trial membership before the rebill date to avoid any charges.
In some cases, Netflix is banned, not offered or doesn't have the proper licensing agreement with AMC to allow the streaming of Breaking Bad in your country. While this is unfortunate, you can often take advantage of a legal loophole using a service such as NordVPN to spoof your IP location to the United States then Netflix will allow you to stream the television series with no limitations (an active Netflix subscription is still required).
Amazon Instant Video
Many of you are probably subscribers of Amazon's Prime service and are hoping that their Prime Video service offers free streaming of Breaking Bad (unlike Suits). Unfortunately, this is not the case although their standard Instant Video service offers digital rentals and ownership of episodes or seasons of the television show.
If you want to rent an episode in high definition (HD) through Amazon Instant Video then you'll be charged $0.99. Rentals are available to start watching for 30 days after purchasing although you only have 48 hours to finish the episode once you have started it.
Instead of renting, you can purchase the digital version of Breaking Bad episodes or seasons which have no expiration date and can be watched at any time on platforms that support Amazon Instant Video (mobile devices, computers, Smart TVs).
Pricing for buying episodes through Amazon Instant Video start at $2.99 each for HD or $1.99 each for standard definition (SD). If you want to buy the entire season then pricing begins at $9.99 for Season 1 in HD and rises depending on how many episodes were in the season.
Being a Prime subscriber makes no difference in the case of accessing Breaking Bad through Amazon so don't feel like you can't take advantage of this opportunity unless you are a customer of the company's premium subscription.
From our perspective, Amazon Instant Video is the best alternative way to watch Breaking Bad online outside of Netflix due to its low cost and wide support for the streaming platform on many popular consumer electronic devices. This means you'll much of the hassle of trying to find a way to stream Breaking Bad episodes while on the go.
Apple iTunes
If you are planning to primarily watch Breaking Bad through an Apple device such as an iPhone, iPad, Apple TV or Mac computer then purchasing episodes or seasons through iTunes might be the most convenient option for you.
You can purchase individual episodes of Breaking Bad through iTunes for $2.99 in HD or $2.99 in SD. Seasons will range from $14.99 to $24.99 depending on the number of episodes that season. Additionally, Apple has a whole series bundle with extra behind-the-scenes content offered for a flat rate of $99.
We prefer Amazon Instant Video over iTunes due to the better support for watching on devices outside of the Apple ecosystem. Amazon also is charging $5 less for the digital ownership of Breaking Bad seasons although the episode pricing remains the same.
Vudu
Some of you may have never heard of Vudu yet they are a reputable online video content platform. They are offering the same access to the entire Breaking Bad series with instant access to all episodes and seasons through their platform.
Vudu displays their default pricing on their website in the form of the lower standard definition, but they offer HDX (a fancy word for high definition) episodes as well for the same pricing as iTunes and Amazon.
The season pricing varies and is sometimes cheaper than iTunes while sometimes it is more expensive. However, the pricing per season always costs less through Amazon, so Vudu is a harder sell when you factor in the pricing.
You'll find more services support native viewing of Vudu content than iTunes outside of the Apple ecosystem (they have downloadable apps for most streaming devices such as a Roku or even for video game consoles like the Xbox One) however Amazon still takes the cake in overall compatibility.
Why Is Breaking Bad Not Available On Hulu Or Prime Video?
Some of you may prefer Hulu or Amazon Prime Video over Netflix and already have a subscription to one of these services. Unfortunately, Breaking Bad is not offered for free streaming with either service.
Licensing deals for television content such as this are very complicated and with the number of services trying to compete in the market, exclusivity on hit shows like Breaking Bad is a massive advantage for a streaming service like Netflix.
While we can't say that Hulu or Amazon Prime Video will never get free streaming access to this excellent series, it isn't offered at this time and it is likely that Netflix has negotiated exclusive rights for now.
Hulu's current splash page shown when searching ‘Breaking Bad' on their streaming service.
If this changes in the future, we will be updating this article to reflect the most current methods of watching Breaking Bad online. We will be sure to note if Hulu or Amazon Prime Video begin offering free access to their monthly subscribers.
3 Reasons To Not Pirate Or Illegally Watch Breaking Bad Episodes
It is now 2018, and much of our lives are engulfed in the Internet world. While this offers many benefits, there is now also a lot of temptation in regards to piracy and the viewing of media content from unlicensed sources.
While this can save you a few dollars in the short-term, there are some legitimate reasons why you shouldn't pirate this great series or illegally watch Breaking Bad online.
Reason #1: It Is Considered Copyright Infringement & You Risk Legal Action
We don't say this to scare you, but to be upfront. It is unlikely that you'll receive any legal action if you were to engage in piracy or illegal viewing of Breaking Bad online.
However, more companies are realizing their lost profits from these means and going after individuals to prove a point and this has happened on multiple occasions. Just because you have little risk of being caught doesn't make it legally or morally okay to do so.
Statistics show that there have been less than 10,000 instances where everyday people were charged with piracy within the last decade. However, if you were to be one of these 10,000 cases then you should expect:
- Up to five years in jail
- Fines up to $150,000 per file
- An additional lawsuit(s) to cover the legal costs and damages from the originating copyright holder
For more information concerning the legal risks of online piracy, check out these sources:
- Illegal Downloading & File Sharing – Webster University
- Jury Ding File Sharer $675,000, RIAA Prevails – WIRED
Reason #2: Most Illegal Methods Are Unsafe & Malicious Attempts Against You
If you found us through Google, you likely already know there are many other websites offering free streaming of Breaking Bad online that look shady and that is frankly because they are shady.
We understand how tempting this is and how saving a couple of bucks can go a long way to many people. However, we HIGHLY recommend you proceed with caution as there are larger risks you face beyond the legal implications.
Since many sources behind these illegal websites know that people are desperate to watch a series like Breaking Bad for free, they will go out of their way to attract these audiences and presume legitimacy while operating under deception.
A study noted by the Telegraph showed that a whopping 90% of all illegal film and TV sites within the UK operated with malware or other software that were designed to defraud users. This includes situations of viruses, phishing scams, excessive spam, malware, spyware and identity theft.
If you were to take this risk, you could potentially be setting yourself up for a lot more troubles (financial loss and a major headache) trying to recover from such a malicious attack than you would just dishing out a few extra bucks to enjoy this great television serious within legal means from a reputable source.
For those that don't take this warning, just be sure to follow this advice if you decide to try and go the risky, illicit route. If you visit a shady-looking website or service that asks for your email or wants you to download any sort of random software to watch illegal content, DO NOT continue. This is almost always going to be a way malicious or an attempt to defraud you in some way.
Reason #3: The TV Industry Loses Incentive To Keep Producing Quality Shows
As consumers, we have a moral and ethical obligation to not steal anything whether it is a physical or digital good. If you were gifted with the talent to create something intangible for others to enjoy, wouldn't you want to also be appropriately paid for your work?
Piracy is a quick way for you to save a small amount of cash, but there are larger consequences to the entire entertainment industry every time we partake in these illegal activities.
By removing the revenue potential from the networks and those responsible for creating exceptional content like Breaking Bad themselves, you are taking away money needed to pay for the livelihoods of all those involved in the entertainment industry.
This doesn't just include the big-name actors who star in the show, but also the writers and production staff who all worked their tails off to take a stellar storyline and execute it into the masterpiece that the Breaking Bad series has become.
Beyond the monetary loss, illegal viewership of television shows also removes measurable metrics from the studios producing the content. This means that it could potentially show false flags about a TV show if it were to do poorly on streaming services or digital downloads, but developed a massive following through illegal means of viewing.
This situation could result in a loss of effort for studios to create new or follow-up seasons for future series like Breaking Bad or remove the potential of spin-off series based on the same concept or a specific character from the original (in this case, it would be Better Call Saul).
Promoting the future of quality entertainment content is our duty, and without our support, we wouldn't have the opportunity to escape reality and get lost in such a great series like Breaking Bad.
We've come to the end of our guide and have done our best to find you a way to enjoy the great storyline from this television series as you follow along with Walter White and Jesse Pinkman's wild ride.
Our team at The Tech Reviewer hope that this article helped you discover the best way to watch Breaking Bad online within your needs and budget.
