It's Official: Blackstone to buy Busch parks

After much speculation and posturing, Blackstone Group LP has agreed to buy Anheuser-Busch Inbev's amusement parks for $2.3 billion in cash and up to another $400 million in extra payments. The extra $400 billion payout depends on Blackstone's return on the investment. The purchase includes SeaWorld parks in San Diego, San Antonio and Orlando as well as Busch Gardens parks based in Tampa Bay, Florida and Williamsburg, Virginia. While the names of all parks will remain the same, the parks will lose the iconic Clydesdale horses that have been a staple of Anheuser-Busch parks for so long. Aside from this, few other changes will be seen in the near future. However, Blackstone representatives have hinted that some sponsorship and managerial changes may be in order sometime down the line. [Bloomberg]