Bandai Namco Acquires 42.1% Stake in POPS
Bandai Namco Holdings announced on November 10 that it had acquired a 42.1% stake in POPS K.K. for an undisclosed sum. POPS distributes anime including Doraemon and Detective Conan in Vietnam. Bandai Namco said the investment would help expand content distribution and localization in Southeast Asia.
Japanese entertainment group Bandai Namco Holdings announced on November 10 that it had acquired a 42.1% stake in POPS K.K. The transaction value was not disclosed. POPS K.K. operates in digital media and entertainment, with a focus on Southeast Asia. Bandai Namco said the investment aims to expand content distribution, localization, social media promotion and in-person events in the region.
POPS distributes Japanese anime to Vietnamese audiences through YouTube channels including POPS Kids and POPS Anime. In 2017, POPS Worldwide partnered with Japan’s TV Asahi to distribute Doraemon on YouTube. In September 2024, the company announced a release schedule for new Vietnamese-dubbed episodes of Detective Conan. According to Bandai Namco, POPS manages the rights to more than 73,000 songs and has a network of more than 53,000 content creators and influencers.
POPS distributes Japanese anime to Vietnamese audiences through its channels.（VietVance）
POPS K.K., the company in which Bandai Namco acquired a stake, was established in November 2024 and is headquartered in Tokyo. Esther Nguyễn serves as its general manager. It has registered capital of 360 million yen, equivalent to approximately 61 billion Vietnamese dong according to the original article. Bandai Namco’s businesses span games, toys, anime and music, and include works such as Dragon Ball.
Bandai Namco Holdings acquires a 42.1% stake in POPS K.K.（VietVance）
Financial results released by Bandai Namco on November 10 show revenue of approximately 124 trillion Vietnamese dong from April to September 2026, up 13.1% year on year, and profit of nearly 16.9 trillion Vietnamese dong, up 26.1%. Total assets stood at nearly 220 trillion Vietnamese dong as of September 30, 2026. Executive Vice President Nobuhiko Momoi said Southeast Asia is becoming a consumer market of growing interest as its economies expand. The transaction is part of the group’s CW360 strategic investment program, launched in April 2025.
Source: VietVance
