The Farmer’s Llamas special watched by 4.8m on BBC1 on Boxing Day.
Aardman has started its 40th anniversary year on a high – celebrating strong TV ratings for its Shaun the Sheep: The Farmer’s Llamas special and securing a deal for US home entertainment with Lionsgate.
The Farmer’s Llamas – which aired on BBC1 on December 26 at 6.10pm – notched up audience figures of 4.8 million.
The news is a great start to 2016 for Aardman, which is marking its 40th with a raft of activity. This will include the launch of some new collectable items, working with existing partners such as Rainbow Designs, Danilo and Robert Harrop.
New partnerships have also been secured with Steiff Bears – for a special edition Gromit – and Isle of Man stamps for an Aardman-themed collection.
Meanwhile, the US agreement with Lionsgate includes all five seasons of Shaun the Sheep, as well as the new half hour special, The Farmer’s Llamas for home entertainment.
The catalogue will begin to roll out across major entertainment retailers and online from February 23.
In addition, Shaun the Sheep fans in the US will be able to watch all the episodes from seasons one to five on Boomerang.
“We are so pleased to be joining forces with two such highly regarded media partners, both of whom are a perfect fit for our woolly little friend,” said Alix Wiseman, head of sales and acquisitions at Aardman.
The deals follow the recent announcement with Amazon Prime Video for the US launch of The Farmer’s Llamas, as well as Aardman’s partnership with JLK Licensing.
