The proposed merger of Cedar Fair Entertainment and Six Flags Entertainment is expected to create an amusement park operator with more geographically balanced real estate throughout North America.
Cedar Fair has a high concentration of parks in the Midwest, while Six Flags has a higher concentration of parks in the southern United States. The all-stock deal, valued at about $2 billion, is expected to mean a lower percentage of the combined company's parks would be less likely to be disrupted by weather at any one time, with 42 parks and nine hotels and resorts spanning the United States, Canada and Mexico.
"By combining our footprints, we will have a more balanced presence, particularly in regions with extended operating seasons," Cedar Fair Chief Financial Officer Brian Witherow told investors on an earnings call last week. "As a result, no single geography will contribute greater than 30% of total park level" earnings before interest and taxes.
Weather played a disappointing role in each company's recent earnings. Six Flags Chief Financial Officer Gary Mick said that company's Texas theme parks experienced "record-breaking heat this summer" and "poor weather" with eight weekends of rainfall in the U.S. Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions hitting its third-quarter financial results.
Cedar Fair's 15 parks and other assets brought in $1.8 billion in revenue with 26 million visitors in the 12 months through the third quarter, while Six Flags' 27 parks brought in $1.4 billion in revenue with 22 million visitors. Cedar Fair's resort accommodations include more than 2,300 rooms and over 600 luxury recreational vehicle sites.
Six Flags has its headquarters office in Arlington, Texas, and Cedar Fair is based in Sandusky, Ohio. The combined company is expected to maintain significant operations in Ohio but would have its headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina.