Xilam Bets on 'Zig & Sharko' for Global Dominance Amid Market Shifts

PARIS, FRANCE – January 14, 2026 – Academy Award®-nominated studio Xilam Animation has announced it is moving forward with two new seasons of its global slapstick phenomenon, Zig & Sharko. The move signals a strategic doubling-down on a key intellectual property as the animation industry navigates significant market turbulence.

Longstanding French broadcast partner Gulli has commissioned the fifth and sixth seasons of the non-dialogue comedy. Each new season will consist of 52 seven-minute episodes, with deliveries scheduled for 2027 and 2028, extending the adventures of the perpetually hungry hyena, the protective shark, and the oblivious mermaid well into the future. The decision comes as the series, which celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2025, continues to demonstrate remarkable strength across both traditional and digital platforms.

The Power of Silent Comedy in a Digital World

The enduring success of Zig & Sharko lies in its universal language: visual humor. As a non-dialogue slapstick comedy, the series effortlessly transcends cultural and linguistic barriers, a crucial advantage in today's globalized media market. This "globally travelable" quality has allowed it to build a massive international audience, with broadcast partners spanning from Germany's Super RTL to Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery across multiple territories.

Nowhere is its global reach more evident than on digital platforms. Xilam reports that Zig & Sharko is its most established brand on YouTube, amassing a staggering 39 million subscribers and 22 billion lifetime views across its eight dedicated channels. This digital footprint is a cornerstone of the IP's modern strategy, placing it in the upper echelon of children's animation online. While mega-brands like Cocomelon command larger audiences with nursery rhymes, Zig & Sharko's performance is formidable for a narrative-driven comedy, proving that classic cartoon antics are thriving in the algorithm-driven world of on-demand video.

This digital dominance is not just a measure of popularity but a powerful engine for revenue and brand-building. The Advertising-based Video on Demand (AVOD) model of platforms like YouTube provides a steady stream of income, especially as advertisers seek brand-safe, COPPA-compliant environments. Furthermore, research shows that short-form content on platforms like TikTok (where the show has 2.5 million subscribers) and YouTube Shorts often acts as a gateway, driving viewers to longer-form episodes on broadcast or streaming services.

A Strategic Bet Amidst Market Headwinds

The greenlighting of 104 new episodes is more than just a content renewal; it's a calculated business maneuver. The announcement comes after a challenging period for Xilam and the wider animation industry. In 2024, the studio reported a significant 41% drop in revenue, a direct consequence of major streaming platforms shifting their strategy from aggressive content acquisition to a focus on profitability, leading to a sharp reduction in new commissions, particularly for kids' content.

In this cautious climate, investing in a proven, proprietary IP like Zig & Sharko is a sound strategy. It allows Xilam to leverage a guaranteed audience and a well-established brand to rebuild its order book and ensure a stable production pipeline. This focus on its own IP reduces dependency on service work for third parties and aligns with a long-term goal of creating recurring value. The company's strong financial position, including being debt-free, provides the stability needed to weather the market downturn and make such forward-looking investments.

The continued partnership with Gulli, part of the M6 Group, is also a critical pillar of this strategy. Gulli remains a powerhouse in French children's broadcasting, and its commitment provides a foundational broadcast partner for the new seasons. This relationship is further enhanced by M6 Group's recent distribution deal with Amazon Prime Video in France, which expands Gulli's reach onto a major SVOD platform, ensuring Zig & Sharko will be accessible to audiences across linear TV, AVOD, and SVOD ecosystems.

"With fun-loving characters and hilarious adventures across land and sea, Zig & Sharko encapsulates universal appeal of non-dialogue slapstick comedy," said Marc du Pontavice, Founder and CEO at Xilam Animation, in the original announcement. "Together with our trusted partners at M6, we’re thrilled to dive into two more seasons that will take the characters further than ever before."

Philippe Bony, President at Gulli, echoed this sentiment, stating, "We are absolutely thrilled to continue our wonderful journey alongside the talented Xilam teams! Their outstanding creativity and contagious enthusiasm have succeeded in making Zig and Sharko beloved characters that have been capturing the hearts of families on Gulli for the last ten years."

New Vacations, Familiar Chaos: A Creative Refresh

To keep the long-running series vibrant for its global fanbase, the upcoming seasons will introduce fresh narrative frameworks centered on the theme of "dream vacations." This approach, created by director Hugo Gittard, promises to inject new scenarios and gags while preserving the core character dynamics that fans love.

Season five will explore Zig the hyena's ultimate fantasy vacation. When Marina the mermaid and Sharko open "The Coco Club," an all-inclusive beach resort, it becomes an instant hit. To protect the resort's five-star online rating, Sharko is forced to accept his nemesis, Zig, as a guest. The result is a sun-drenched battlefield as Zig exploits every vacation perk imaginable in his relentless pursuit of Marina, turning the luxury resort into a stage for chaotic slapstick.

Season six shifts focus to Marina's dream. Having gained magical legs, she develops an obsession with surfing and embarks on an island road trip to find the perfect wave. Sharko tags along, hoping for a romantic getaway, but their plans are complicated when Zig and his sidekick Bernie stow away, claiming to be expert surf instructors. The confines of a camper van will test everyone's patience as each stop brings new adventures, discoveries, and, inevitably, more of Zig's harebrained schemes.

Navigating the Future of Kids' Content Consumption

Xilam's multi-pronged strategy for Zig & Sharko appears perfectly aligned with the evolving habits of young audiences. While nearly all children watch content on video-sharing platforms like YouTube, traditional television remains a key curator, and co-viewing—where parents and children watch together—is on the rise. By securing a commission from a major broadcaster like Gulli while simultaneously cultivating a massive YouTube presence, Xilam ensures its flagship property is visible everywhere its audience is.

The new seasons, with their contained story arcs centered on vacations, are well-suited for both binge-watching on streaming platforms and episodic viewing on linear TV. This versatility is crucial in a fragmented media landscape. The non-dialogue format not only facilitates international distribution but also makes the content highly accessible for the youngest viewers, who are increasingly consuming content on tablets and TV screens. By continuing to invest in one of its most powerful and adaptable brands, Xilam is not just creating more cartoons; it is securing its position in the future of global children's entertainment. The studio's ability to blend creative refreshment with a savvy, multi-platform business model demonstrates a clear path forward through a period of industry-wide transformation.