NBCUniversal, owned by American media and telecomms giant Comcast is to buy the remaining 49% it doesn’t currently own in Universal Studios Japan for $2.3 billion.
Bloomberg reports that NBC bought the remaining stake in the theme park from Goldman Sachs, former Universal Studios Japan Chief Executive Officer Glenn Gumpel, private-equity firm MBK Partners and U.S. hedge fund Owl Creek Asset Management. The deal values the theme park at $7.4 billion, including the assumption of net debt, according to a statement released on Tuesday.
In 2015, NBCUniversal bought for a 51% stake in USJ Co. (the operating company of the Universal Studios Japan theme park in Osaka) for $1.5 billion .
Universal Studios Japan opened The Wizarding World of Harry Potter attraction in 2014 and recently announced it would open a Dragon Quest attraction and a Minion-themed zone in the park later this year.
Comcast has been growing its theme park business in Asia. It is also building a theme park destination in Beijing and licenses another leading Asian theme park, Universal Singapore.
The transaction will close in April.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-02-28/comcast-to-buy-rest-of-universal-studios-japan-for-2-3-billion
