Resolution criteria

This market resolves YES if WildBrain, a Canadian media, animation studio, production, and brand licensing company, completes an acquisition of Aardman Animations, a British animation studio based in Bristol, England, by December 31, 2029. Resolution will be confirmed via official press releases from either company or verified reporting from major entertainment industry publications (Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline). The acquisition must involve WildBrain obtaining majority ownership of Aardman.

Background

Aardman is known for films and television series made using stop-motion and clay animation techniques, particularly those featuring Wallace & Gromit, Chicken Run, Shaun the Sheep, and Morph. Aardman became employee-owned in November 2018, with 75% of shares transferred to a trust held for the benefit of employees. The founders made this decision to protect the company's integrity by never selling to a big studio.

WildBrain owns the largest independent library of children's television programming, including assets from acquisitions such as Cookie Jar Group, Epitome Pictures, and Wildbrain Entertainment, as well as distribution rights to Jay Ward Productions and Ragdoll Productions libraries, and a stake in the Peanuts franchise.

Considerations

Aardman's founders have been approached by big studios like DreamWorks about a possible purchase, but resisted because they are fiercely independent. The employee ownership structure creates a significant structural barrier to acquisition, as any deal would require approval from the employee trust and board, not just individual founders. This makes an acquisition substantially more difficult than a traditional corporate purchase.

This description was generated by AI.