Sony Pictures Television and IMG Licensing enter exclusive multi-year deal to roll out global merchandise and experiences for the full ‘Breaking Bad’ franchise

Sony Pictures Television and IMG Licensing said they have entered an exclusive, multi-year collaboration to build a global licensing program for the entire Breaking Bad franchise. The announcement, made June 25, positions the companies to develop new commercial opportunities tied to the series’ established audience and brand identity.

Under the agreement, the licensing program is expected to support consumer products and brand partnerships connected to Breaking Bad, with the companies describing the effort as spanning all “Walter White” fans. The scope is intended to go beyond traditional merchandise to include collaborations that leverage the franchise’s name recognition in consumer and retail settings.

The companies also said the partnership will include immersive experiences, an area that typically involves experiential marketing, activations, and other branded events. The announcement did not specify timelines for individual launches, categories of products, or which markets would receive initial rollouts.

IMG Licensing, a unit associated with the IMG brand’s licensing and brand-management business, is described in the announcement as a partner providing licensing expertise for the program. Sony Pictures Television is the studio entity publicly tied to production and rights administration for its TV properties, and it is named as the developer of the licensing initiative through its television business.

The deal is framed as covering the “entire Breaking Bad franchise,” rather than a single title or season. That language suggests the partners plan to treat the broader franchise brand as a unified licensing platform, potentially encompassing multiple related creative elements recognized by the audience, although the announcement did not list specific sub-rights or which franchise components will be included.

While the initiative is aimed at commercial expansion, the announcement also indicates a continuity strategy for legacy television IP, keeping the series in active branded circulation years after its initial run. Licensing programs of this type commonly involve rights clearances, brand guidelines, and partner vetting, but the companies did not release any additional contractual details beyond the multi-year and exclusive nature of the collaboration.

The announcement comes as entertainment brands continue to explore licensing as an additional revenue stream alongside streaming and broadcast distribution. For audiences, it means additional ways the Breaking Bad brand may appear in everyday retail products, co-branded campaigns, and events, depending on how and when specific licensing partners are announced.

Next steps, based on the information provided, would include the selection of consumer product categories, brand partners, and experiential formats. Additional announcements may follow as companies finalize licensing agreements for specific products and activations within the broader multi-year program.