Xilam Animation’s "Karate Sheep" launches globally on Netflix

Xilam Animation’s new CG animated comedy series "Karate Sheep" will make its debut on Netflix on 2 March. “Slapstick comedies are a core part of our company’s legacy and DNA, so we’re excited to be collaborating with Netflix to bring another series in this genre to international audiences," Marc du Pontavice, Founder and CEO at Xilam Animation, said. "'Karate Sheep' is a unique blend of themes – there’s friendship, teamwork and accepting the differences of others, but there’s also martial arts, plenty of humour and a celebration of nature in the mix too. The response and engagement for our Karate Sheep digital campaign has been really positive, so we can’t wait to now see the response from families around the world.”

"Karate Sheep" was created by Xilam Animation’s Hugo Gittard. Xilam has acquired second-window global linear TV distribution and merchandising rights for "Karate Sheep."  The launch on the streaming platform marks Netflix's first-ever animated commission supported by the French public funding body CNC. The series, targeted at children ages 6-9, initially premiered on Super RTL in late 2022.

The launch is supported by a campaign created by Xilam. The efforts include a "Karate Sheep" YouTube channel, which features episodes, compilations and shorts and has achieved nearly 500k views since launching in January.  In addition to the channel, the company also manages a dedicated TikTok account that has generated 3 million views so far, and a branded Karate Sheep filter is now available for use on the platform. On TikTok, over 25% of the Karate Sheep audience is from the U.S. market. Xilam is also developing a Karate Sheep gaming app for launch later this year.

The show follows Trico, a sheep who loves to share new objects and ideas with the rest of the flock, causing ruckus in the mountain pastures, which inevitably ends up at Wanda’s expense, a tough ewe whose job is to keep the sheep safe. No small feat, especially when Wolf is always lurking, waiting to make the most of this newfound chaos.