Blackstone Mulling InBev Amusement-Park Bid - Source
23 Septembre 2009 - 6:56PM
Dow Jones News
Blackstone Group LP (BX) is looking into a possible deal to buy
Anheuser-Busch InBev NV's (BUD) theme parks, a person familiar with
the matter said Wednesday.
InBev, which bought Anheuser-Busch last year, has been looking
for months to find a buyer for theme parks operated under Busch
Entertainment Corp. The amusement parks include SeaWorld and Busch
Gardens.
Any deal would allow InBev to pay down debt incurred from its
acquisition of Anheuser-Busch. For Blackstone, it would expand the
private-equity company's theme-park holdings. It already owns 50%
of Universal Orlando; the other 50% is owned by NBC Universal,
which is 80% owned by General Electric Co. (GE) and 20% by Vivendi
SA (VIVDY).
No deal was expected imminently.
Anheuser-Busch InBev couldn't immediately be reached for
comment.
-By Joe Bel Bruno, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2469;
joe.belbruno@dowjones.com