British stop motion animated series Shaun the Sheep will be soon carried on Chinese streamer Tencent Video. The deal was brokered between Tencent and Aardman Animations, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The acquisition of the series brings 170 episodes of the show following the beloved barn-yard animals including season 6, the newest season launched earlier this year, in tow. Via The Hollywood Reporter, the agreement for streaming in China also satisfies the arrangement reached between Netflix and Aardman to present the show globally.
Shaun the Sheep was introduced to audiences in 1995 as a supplementary character in A Close Shave, a short film from the Oscar-winning Wallace & Gromit series. From there, Shaun’s face became recognized and adored as a global ambassador. The series first aired in the U.K. in 2007 which then led to two Shaun the Sheep feature films with the most recent release Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon receiving a BAFTA nomination for its animation.
The show was created by David Fine (George and Rosemary), Alison Snowden (Bob’s Birthday) and Richard Starzak (Rex the Runt) while the cast includes Justin Fletcher (Something Special), John Sparkes (Peppa Pig), Richard Webber (Early Man) and Kate Harbour (Bob the Builder).
Robin Gladman, senior distribution and acquisitions manager for Aardman, told The Hollywood Reporter that “our new deal with Tencent Video is a truly exciting next step for our business in China and a great moment for the studio.Tencent Video will become a fabulous new home for our biggest global brand Shaun the Sheep and help us reach millions of families across the territory.”
Shaun the Sheep is currently available to stream on Netflix. The trailer for the most recent Shaun the Sheep movie can be seen below: