Aardman Animations has tapped HIT Entertainment to manage its licensing and home entertainment business across North America. Well-known properties, including Wallace & Gromit and Shaun the Sheep, are part of the portfolio deal that will see HIT building Aardman's ancillary business in the United States in particular.

Stop-motion series “Shaun the Sheep” debuted on the the Disney Channel last month, and features characters that were first introduced in the Wallace & Gromit 30-minute film, A Close Shave. The series is aimed at kids ages five to 10 and is now broadcast in more than 145 territories.

A brand new Wallace & Gromit project will be released in fourth quarter 2008, and HIT is building a program for the launch.