Studio 100
Belgian media and entertainment company focused on children’s and family content, television, film, distribution, animation and theme parks.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
Studio 100 N.V. is a Belgian media and entertainment company specializing in children’s and family programming. Founded on 29 March 1996 by Gert Verhulst, Danny Verbiest and Hans Bourlon, the company initially built its identity around the Flemish television series Samson & Gert. The founders had worked together on the program for several years before establishing the company, and the show’s success gave Studio 100 a recognizable character-based entertainment model. The company subsequently developed Kabouter Plop and other original properties, combining television production with music, live shows, films, licensing and physical attractions. Studio 100 expanded beyond television in 1999, producing its first feature film, The Gnome Treasure, and staging the Dutch-language musical Assepoester, based on Cinderella. Around the same period, it entered the theme-park business by acquiring and reshaping a park around its intellectual property. These activities became the basis of the Plopsa division, which later developed and operated parks, indoor attractions and water parks in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and other European markets. The company broadened its portfolio in 2002 by acquiring the K3 girl group from BMG. K3 became one of Studio 100’s most important music and entertainment properties, supporting recordings, television programs, films, stage productions, merchandising and live performances. Studio 100 also formed or acquired production companies that enabled it to work outside its original preschool and children’s focus. In 2006, it acquired a stake in DED’s It Productions, later known as Dedsit, giving the group a presence in adult-oriented television and entertainment production. Studio 100 obtained full control of the company in 2018. A major international phase began in the second half of the 2000s. Studio 100 created Studio 100 Media in Munich as an international sales and distribution arm, launched Studio 100 TV in Belgium, and acquired the entertainment division of EM.Sport Media in 2008. That transaction brought the company a substantial catalog, the Australian animation studio Flying Bark Productions and the German children’s channel JuniorTV. The acquired catalog included internationally recognized properties such as Maya the Bee, Vic the Viking and Blinky Bill. Studio 100 subsequently developed new adaptations and used its distribution infrastructure to market both its own productions and acquired content around the world. The group continued to build internal production capabilities. Studio 100 Animation was established in Paris in 2009, Studio 100 Film was launched in 2013 to produce and distribute feature films, and Studio Isar Animation was created in Germany in 2018 for CGI feature animation. The group also expanded through acquisitions, taking a majority stake in German media company Made 4 Entertainment in 2017 and later moving toward full control, acquiring New York preschool studio Little Airplane Productions in the same year, and obtaining full control of the Mia and Me franchise in 2018. These moves increased Studio 100’s access to international production talent, catalogs and established brands. Beyond production and distribution, Studio 100 has operated television channels and developed digital and consumer-product activities. It launched a digital entertainment division in 2014 and worked with VTech on electronic toys based on properties including Bumba. It also launched or supported specialist channels such as the cooking channel Njam! and the Middle East and North African children’s channel BeJunior. The company’s global operations have included offices or activities in Breda, Munich, Paris, New York, Sydney and Los Angeles, in addition to its Belgian headquarters. Studio 100’s business model is centered on owning, developing and monetizing family entertainment intellectual property across several media and physical formats. Its activities include original and acquired television ser…
History
Studio 100 was established in Belgium on 29 March 1996 by Gert Verhulst, Danny Verbiest and Hans Bourlon. The founders were associated with Samson & Gert, a television program that became the starting point for the company’s character-driven entertainment strategy. After developing Kabouter Plop, Studio 100 expanded into film and live entertainment in 1999 with The Gnome Treasure and the musical Assepoester. It also entered the theme-park sector by acquiring and adapting a park around its own characters. The company strengthened its intellectual-property portfolio in 2002 through the acquisition of the K3 girl group. K3 became a major cross-media property, generating music, television, films, stage productions and merchandise. Studio 100’s ownership structure changed in the mid-2000s. Danny Verbiest retired from Samson & Gert and sold his shares, while private-equity involvement followed in 2006. The company also acquired a 50 percent interest in DED’s It Productions, a Belgian production company that expanded Studio 100 into adult-oriented television. The remaining stake was acquired in 2018, and the subsidiary was later renamed Dedsit. Internationalization accelerated in 2007 and 2008. Studio 100 established Studio 100 Media in Munich for international distribution and launched Studio 100 TV in Belgium. In 2008, it acquired EM.Sport Media’s entertainment division EM.Entertainment, including its content library, Flying Bark Productions in Australia and the German children’s channel JuniorTV. The acquisition brought internationally established properties such as Maya the Bee, Vic the Viking and Blinky Bill into Studio 100’s portfolio. The company later developed new versions of acquired classics and used its international distribution operation to sell programming across television, home entertainment and digital platforms. Studio 100 expanded its production infrastructure in 2009 by establishing Studio 100 Animation in Paris. It continued to invest in television channels, digital distribution and consumer products, including a toy collaboration with VTech and the launch of the cooking channel Njam! in Belgium. In the theme-park business, the Plopsa division added locations and attractions in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, including Holiday Park in Haßloch, which Studio 100 acquired in 2010 and reopened in 2011. In 2013, Studio 100 created Studio 100 Film to produce and distribute feature films, beginning with projects connected to its established character properties. A digital entertainment division followed in 2014. The company’s international content portfolio grew again in 2017 when Studio 100 Media acquired a 68 percent stake in Made 4 Entertainment, the German company associated with Mia and Me and several catalog businesses. Studio 100 also acquired New York preschool animation company Little Airplane Productions. In 2018, the group obtained full control of Mia and Me and established Studio Isar Animation in Germany for CGI feature production. By 2019, Studio 100 was coordinating creative and production activities across Belgian, German, French, Australian and American operations. Its structure included content production, animation, feature films, international sales, television channels, music, licensing and theme parks. Studio 100’s development has therefore been characterized by the repeated extension of successful family properties into additional formats and markets, alongside acquisitions that supplied catalogs, studios and distribution capabilities.
- 2018
Full control of Mia and Me and launch of Studio Isar Animation
[1]Studio 100 takes full control of Mia and Me and establishes a German CGI feature-animation studio.
- 2017
M4E and Little Airplane acquisitions
[1]Studio 100 acquires a majority stake in Made 4 Entertainment and purchases New York preschool studio Little Airplane Productions.
- 2013
Studio 100 Film launches
[1]A film division is created to produce and distribute feature films.
- 2010
Holiday Park acquisition
[1]Studio 100 acquires the German theme park Holiday Park through its Plopsa division.
- 2009
Studio 100 Animation opens
[1]The company establishes a Paris-based animation studio for new and revived properties.
- 2008
EM.Entertainment acquisition
[1]Studio 100 acquires EM.Entertainment, its library, Flying Bark Productions and JuniorTV for a reported €41 million.
- 2008
Studio 100 TV launches
[1]The company launches a Belgian television channel in partnership with Telenet.
- 2007
Studio 100 Media is established
[1]The Munich-based international distribution division is created.
- 2006
International expansion begins
[1]Private-equity investment and the acquisition of a stake in DED’s It Productions support broader international and adult-content activities.
- 2002
K3 acquisition
[1]Studio 100 acquires the K3 girl group from BMG.
Products and positioning
A vertically integrated European children’s and family entertainment group that develops character-based intellectual property and extends it across screen content, music, live experiences, licensing, distribution and theme parks.
Television and live entertainment
Samson & Gert
The Flemish television property that provided Studio 100’s original foundation. The program featured Gert Verhulst and Danny Verbiest and helped establish the company’s model of building recurring characters across television, music, live appearances and merchandising.
Music and family entertainment · 2002
K3
A girl-group and entertainment franchise acquired from BMG in 2002. Studio 100 developed K3 across recorded music, television, feature films, stage shows, touring, merchandise and other family-oriented formats.
Preschool television and licensing
Bumba
A preschool property developed during Studio 100’s international expansion. The brand supports animated and live-action content as well as licensed toys and other products, including items created through a VTech partnership.
Animated television and film
Maya the Bee
An established animated property acquired through the EM.Entertainment transaction and later developed through new television adaptations and feature films. Studio 100 Media obtained the worldwide rights from the Waldemar Bonsels Foundation in 2009.
Hybrid animated and live-action series
Mia and Me
A fantasy television franchise associated with Made 4 Entertainment. Studio 100 acquired the remaining stake from co-production partner Hahn Film in 2018 and planned further development of the property.
Theme parks and water parks
Plopsa
Studio 100’s theme-park division, operating parks and attractions built around Studio 100 characters and broader family entertainment themes. Its portfolio has included locations in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, together with water parks and indoor attractions.
Television channel · 2008
Studio 100 TV
A Belgian channel launched with Telenet in 2008. Its programming has drawn on Studio 100’s music and children’s catalog, including songs, interactive segments and seasonal specials.
Brand decisions
2017
Majority investment in Made 4 EntertainmentM&ABackground
Studio 100 aimed to increase its European children’s and family content catalog and strengthen its position in international distribution.
Action taken
Studio 100 Media acquired a 68 percent stake in Made 4 Entertainment.
Aftermath
M4E became a Studio 100 Media subsidiary, with Studio 100 later moving toward full control after restructuring parts of the acquired business.
2008
Acquisition of EM.EntertainmentM&ABackground
Studio 100 sought a larger international children’s and family catalog and additional production and broadcasting capabilities.
Action taken
It acquired EM.Entertainment, including its library, Flying Bark Productions and JuniorTV.
Aftermath
The transaction expanded Studio 100’s global distribution portfolio and gave it an Australian animation studio and a German-language television operation.
Reported acquisition price. €41 million (2008)
Recent events
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