WAS PIRACY BAD FOR BREAKING BAD?

Even though it was possible to watch AMC’s season finale of Breaking Bad perfectly legally and free via cable and satellite systems — the show attracted 10.3 million viewers — many people decided to do so via pirate websites. Oddly, that seems not to have disturbed the show’s producer, Vince Gilligan. Asked about a report by TorrentFreak.com, which tracks BitTorrent usage, that the September episode was watched by three million people on pirate websites, Gilligan said during a BBC interview that while piracy is a problem, “If I’m being honest I see that the illegal downloading led to a lot of people watching the series, becoming aware of the series who otherwise would not have been.” On the other hand, he noted, if those who pirated the series had watched it legally, its ratings would have risen and AMC could have charged more for advertising and “folks who worked on the show would’ve made more money, myself included.” Nevertheless, he concluded, “I get paid very well, I can’t complain.”