Aardman Launches International TV Distribution Division

Aardman Animations, the Academy Award-winning stop-motion animation studio, is moving into distribution, launching its own dedicated sales arm, Aardman International, to exploit its growing catalogue of properties.

Overseeing the new division is Miles Bullough, Aardman's head of broadcast and development.

Bullough said, "We are incredibly proud of our slate of broadcast projects and feel that with the imminent launch Shaun The Sheep and, with 60 half hours in production this year, the time is right to take our projects to the international market ourselves. We are now looking for an experienced head of sales who can help us expand our brands and business worldwide."

Aardman International will cover UK and worldwide distribution of Aardman's brand portfolio. It will also be seeking a limited number of third-party properties, to exploit along with Aardman's in-house productions.

Aardman will continue successful partnerships with co-production and distribution partners such as Decode Ent. for Planet Sketch and Chop Socky Chooks but from MIPCOM 2006, Aardman will take full responsibility for the distribution of its own programming brands.

The current catalog includes: Shaun The Sheep for CBBC; The Flowerheads for CBeebies; A Town Called Panic, which has recently sold to ABC TV Australia, Nicktoons US and Nickelodeon UK; Angry Kid, which started life as a hit on AtomFilms and as a download on 3 UK; Rex The Runt; Morph; and a raft of short films.

   QUALITY PRODUCER

David Sproxton, exec chairman of Aardman Animations, said, "Aardman's broadcast division has rapidly established itself as a leading producer of quality television programming. Launching an international division is a logical step for Aardman and is a reflection of the confidence we have in our current and upcoming slate of TV projects."

Aardman, based in Bristol, U.K., co-founded and run by Peter Lord and David Sproxton, is a world leader in animation, producing feature films, television series and television commercials for both the domestic and international market. For more information, visit www.aardman.com