Why did Busch sell Busch Gardens?

Anheuser-Busch InBev had been seeking a buyer for its theme parks since completing the $52 billion merger of beer giants InBev and Anheuser-Busch last year. Executives have said they want to sell off non-core assets to use the proceeds to pay down debt stemming from the merger.



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In 2009, AB InBev, formed from the purchase of Anheuser-Busch by InBev, sold the amusement parks to the Blackstone Group. Blackstone has kept some of the popular traditions including a stable with Clydesdales; however, the Clydesdales are not affiliated with the beer company.

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Company renames the former Anheuser Busch InBev unit as SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. Blackstone Group on Tuesday completed its $2.7 billion acquisition of Busch Gardens and nine other theme parks, giving its latest attractions industry venture a new name.

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SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. owns and operates three SeaWorld locations in San Diego, Orlando and San Antonio, as well as the two Busch Gardens locations in Williamsburg and Tampa. The rights to the Busch Gardens parks were acquired by SeaWorld's ownership group for $2.7 billion in 2009.

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Anheuser-Busch InBev had been seeking a buyer for its theme parks since completing the $52 billion merger of beer giants InBev and Anheuser-Busch last year. Executives have said they want to sell off non-core assets to use the proceeds to pay down debt stemming from the merger.

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SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc., a publicly traded company.

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Located in Tampa, Florida, Busch Gardens opened to the public in 1959. According to ticket-price data gathered by The Family Vacation Guide in May 2022, Busch Gardens is the most expensive theme park in the world just above Disney World.

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Today, there are three SeaWorld parks in the U.S., including the original San Diego, Calif. location, and parks in Orlando, Fla. and San Antonio, Texas. We also created more parks that connect guests with marine life in new ways.

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In 2022, SeaWorld Entertainment registered 1.73 billion U.S. dollars in revenue in the United States. This figured represented an increase of over 15 percent versus the previous year, when the theme park company recorded a revenue of 1.5 billion U.S. dollars.

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This is the last generation of orcas in our care But, they are still here and will be cared for at SeaWorld for decades to come. Our goal is to help our guests, and the world, explore the wonders around them, and then inspire them to take action to protect wild animals and wild places.

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In 1971, at just 9 years old, Shamu died at SeaWorld from a uterine infection and blood poisoning. In the ocean, she could have lived for up to 80 years. Even in death, SeaWorld continued exploiting Shamu—the company trademarked her name, using it to sell even more tickets to abusive orca shows.

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