Sony Execs Freaked Out After 'Breaking Bad' Alternate Ending Clip Leaked On TV
The complete series Blu-Ray and DVD collector set was about two weeks from release. The alternate ending was among the special features on the discs.
In a series of emails from Sony TV president Steve Mosko that leaked online by hackers, Sony was especially upset with ABC's "Good Morning America."
In the emails, Mosko was warned a day in advance that "GMA" was going to air a story on the leak of the content on Nov. 18, 2013. Sony assumed GMA wouldn't use any clips from the alternate ending since the illegal clips were supposedly removed from online.
Mosko explicitly says "GMA" "will be on deep s- if they run an unauthorized clip."
The following day, 12 seconds of the unauthorized clip appeared on ABC's morning show and again subsequently on "LIVE with Kelly and Michael."
Mosko referred to the leak of the info on broadcast television as "a nightmare," especially since they knew in advance. In an email to a colleague, he asks why they didn't have the alternate ending on tighter lockdown like a "Breaking Bad" documentary feature on the disc set.
"Why didn't we fingerprint the alternative ending like the documentary?? This is a nightmare," wrote Mosko.
According to subsequent emails following the series release, the "Breaking Bad" barrel collector sets sold 27,000 in their first week on sale. 100,000 copies of the final season of the AMC series were sold on Blu-Ray and DVD.
Read the emails in full below.
