Thursday, January 17, 2013

Six Flags SeaWorld and Six Flags Busch Gardens?


Does the above (totally fake) logo I just whipped up creep you guys out as much as it does me?  Well, according to new reports there is a chance it could come true one day.

SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment, owners of the SeaWorld and Busch Gardens parks, are currently planning a potential public offering, but at the same time exploring a private sale to another company.  That's where the big news comes in.

According to unnamed "sources," Reuters is reporting that early interest in snatching up the very successful chain of animal, water, and theme parks has come in from both Apollo Management and Six Flags Entertainment Corporation.

If you remember back to when Cedar Fair was planning to be sold, Apollo Management was the company that they were making plans with.  While that fell through, Apollo has since made its way into the industry by purchasing the Great Wolf Lodge resorts.  They own many other companies outside of the amusement industry.

Six Flags, as we well know, has a long history of owning, and the not, different amusement and water parks.  At a first glance the SeaWorld and Busch parks seem quite a clash when compared to the current Six Flags portfolio.

The article does also mention that the "sources" say that a public offering is probably the option that will be taken, since theme park companies are seeing solid stock prices in the current economic climate - and that will make Blackstone more cash.  So perhaps this will go down in the books as nothing more than idle talk... but perhaps not?


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