AMC, Netflix, etc. are just licensees of the content. It is just like being the first one to buy a copy of Photoshop, you don't have any influence or financial interests over future sales.

For the rights you describe, Netflix would need to figure out how to buy Sony.

I see. That's an interesting distinction. Presumably AMC exercised some sort of exclusive rights to Breaking Bad? Does that mean that the fact that Netflix has Breaking Bad right now has nothing to do with AMC?

There is a whole web of rights when it comes to media distribution. AMC has the linear rights for Breaking Bad but not the digital distribution rights. Meaning, when you buy Breaking Bad on iTunes the money does not go to AMC. Netflix's Breaking Bad deal benefits AMC in that people can catch up with the show and then watch it on AMC but AMC didn't sell those rights to Netflix, Sony did.

I work in the industry and am happy to answer questions.