Studio 100 launches distribution arm

Studio 100 Media, the newly-created sales arm of Belgian media company Studio 100, is heading to MIPCOM with a brief to shop a selection of in-house shows and to seek out coproduction opportunities as it starts to spread outside of its native Benelux.

Studio 100 Media is headed by former EM.TV exec Patrick Elmendorff and based in Germany. He says: “The company does €70 million turnover and it’s only eleven years old – there’s been such growth domestically they have had enough to cope with. But now the idea is to bring their concepts to international markets, they have reached a point where they have to expand outside.”

The company will have a booth at the market for the first time and on the sales side is focused on six live-action kids and family shows: The House of Anubis, Bumba the Clown (pictured), Meha Mindy, Topstars, Pete the Pirate and Kindle Entertainment-produced puppet show Big & Small, which will be on the BBC and Canada’s YTV.

Meanwhile, Studio 100 is starting to ramp up it slate of animated programming. “There are interesting formats and live-action shows and now we have formed a large team focusing on the animation side,” Elmendorff explains. It already has a limited amount of animated fare including Plop the Penguin and there is a new feature, featuring the penguin, in production.

Backed by Fortis Bank, Studio 100 Media is also looking to step in as a coproduction or financing partner on projects whereas Studio 100 will concentrate on developing its own IP.