Xilam: Acquisition Completed of a Majority Stake in Cube Creative, a French CGI Production Specialist

PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Regulatory News:

Xilam Animation (Paris:XIL) (ISIN: FR0004034072 ; Symbol: XIL), an independent producer and distributor of animated programming, is pleased to announce it has today finalised its acquisition of 50.1% of the capital and voting rights in CUBE CREATIVE, a French production company specialised in CGI and 3D animation, following the exclusive negotiations announced on 6 June 2019.

Xilam is proud of the effective completion of this external growth transaction, which is fully aligned with its strategy of ramping up production of 3D production and CGI animated content. With this operation, Xilam secures a singular team of talents with expertise in these cutting-edge technologies and a strong brand that is well-established in the market. The merger allows Xilam to continue accelerate its delivery of animation programming and to expand further in the medium term.

Founded in 2002 and based in Levallois-Perret (Hauts-de-Seine), Cube Creative is a fully integrated production studio producing CGI films across a wide range of formats: animated shorts, music videos, advertising spots, ‘large format films, series and features. Its client roster includes such storied brands as Cartier, LU, Kellogg’s and Skoll, as well as amusement parks and major French television networks. In recent years, Cube Creative has successfully developed proprietary productions, including the Athleticus series (broadcast on Arte), Kaeloo (on Canal+, Teletoon+, C8), and Tangranimo (underway for France télévisions), as well as Pfffirates (underway for TF1). The company also has a variety of high-quality projects in development.

The transaction is built on the entrepreneurial model preferred by Xilam Animation. The founding executives will hold 49.9% of the company’s equity following the transaction and remain fully operational. By joining forces with Xilam, CUBE CREATIVE will benefit from the strength of Xilam’s sales in France and abroad and privileged relationship with major digital platforms, as well as the company’s know-how in the realm of digitalisation, its resources and its editorial expertise.

The acquisition will be consolidated in Xilam’s accounts as of 20 January 2020.

About Xilam

Xilam is one of Europe’s leading animation companies, producing and distributing original children’s and family entertainment content across TV, film and digital media platforms. Founded in 1999 by Marc du Pontavice, the award-winning Paris-based company owns a catalogue of more than 2,000 animated series episodes and 4 feature films, including such household brands as Oggy & the Cockroaches, Zig & Sharko, The Daltons and its first preschool series, Paprika. Broadcast in over 190 countries on all the major global children’s TV networks, these series are also breaking records on all the major digital platforms, including YouTube with over 600 million views per month, ranking Xilam among the top global content providers in the realm of animation. Xilam employs over 400 people, including 300 artists, who work in its four studios, located in Paris, Lyon, Angouleme and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.

Xilam is listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange, Compartment B – Eligible investment for French Deferred Settlement Service (SRD long) and Equity Savings Plans (PEA).