Karate Sheep Launching Globally on Netflix

Xilam Animation’s new CG animated slapstick comedy series Karate Sheep is making its worldwide premiere on Netflix tomorrow.

Its debut marks Netflix’s first animated commission that is supported by the French public funding body CNC. The 78×7-minute series targets kids aged 6 to 9 and follows Trico, an enthusiastic sheep who loves to share new objects and ideas with the rest of the flock.

Xilam developed an extensive digital and social media campaign to build awareness for the Netflix launch. As part of the activity, Xilam has created a Karate Sheep YouTube channel, which features episodes, compilations and shorts. Alongside this, a dedicated TikTok account has generated 3 million views, and a branded Karate Sheep filter is now available for use on the platform. Xilam is also developing a Karate Sheep gaming app for launch later this year.

Xilam holds second-window global linear TV distribution and merchandising rights for Karate Sheep.

Marc du Pontavice, founder and CEO at Xilam Animation, said: “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. 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 humor 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.”