Blackstone to buy A-B InBev's theme parks for $2.7 billion ( Sea World and Busch Gardens )

MarketWatch ^ | Oct. 7, 2009, 12:20 p.m. EDT | William Spain, MarketWatch

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

CHICAGO (MarketWatch) -- Anheuser-Busch InBev said Wednesday that it will sell its entertainment business, including theme parks like Sea World and Busch Gardens, to the Blackstone Group for as much as $2.7 billion.

The final purchase price will involve a cash payment of $2.3 billion on closing and the right to participate in Blackstone's returns that is capped at $400 million.

[John.Galt2012]

What’s going on with these guys? First Bud now Sea World and Busch Gardens. Does the Busch family know something that the rest of the USA doesn’t? They seem to be divesting themselves of America.

[ReagansRaiders]

The Busch family didn’t want to sell A-B. It was a hostile takeover by InBev. The Busch parks went with that sale to InBev, which all along said they’d sell them.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

We did it to pourselves....we printed money freely ...and the rest of the world is over here trading the money for hard assets before the money gets worthless.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

pourselves.>>> ourselves.

[C19fan]

No more free beer at Sea World??? :(

[John.Galt2012]

That was one of the main reasons to go to Sea World...and the Clydesdales.

[CharlesWayneCT]

Hasn’t been since last year. Or at Busch Gardens.

[CharlesWayneCT]

Blackstone is a good company, and they own other companies that run theme parks. They plan a hands-off approach to the Busch/World of DIscovery parks, which will operate under the Busch Entertainment subsidiary.

The Clysdales are gone though — they will be going around the country as part of a new AB marketing campaign.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

They will be missed.