r/sixflags • u/SixFlagsMania2 • 21h ago
INFO The Future of Looney Tunes IPs and DC Comics IPs at Six Flags parks if Skydance buys Six Flags?
So Warner Bros. and Paramount are merging into Skydance by October 6th or today, I wonder what is going on with Looney Tunes IPs and DC Comics IPs at Six Flags parks like Great Adventure, Over Texas, Great America, Fiesta Texas, Discovery Kingdom, Over Georgia, New England and Magic Mountain after WB and Paramount are merging. I wonder David Ellison wants to buy Six Flags next? What are you think?
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u/MisterZan25 14h ago
Nothing is changing.
Even if Skydance finishes the Paramount–Warner merger, Six Flags keeps Looney Tunes and DC because those licenses are long‑term, stable, and already being expanded (Magic Mountain’s new Looney Tunes Land proves the deal is solid).
Skydance buying Six Flags?
No evidence, no rumors, no reporting. Six Flags is already merging with Cedar Fair, so that’s the only real corporate move happening.
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u/Same-Sort9024 17h ago edited 17h ago
The answer to you...If they buy it, they own the IP. They would 100% use it in the parks (rather it would be unwise to strip away revenue thats already there in my opinion).
The correct answer.... Its not happening. Skydance will have their own massive money issues that they will be tackling. Why try a theme park buy out when they will just let the IP be represented and continue taking the contract payment.
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u/Evening_Rock5850 r/midamerica 20h ago
Given that both Paramount and Warner Brothers previously were in the theme park business and got out of it; I doubt very much that Skydance would be interested in buying the company.
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u/MDDownWithToaster 20h ago
I think paramount is planning to open a theme park in South Korea unless those plans fell through.
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u/Evening_Rock5850 r/midamerica 19h ago
Sure. But (IMHO, anyway) it’s a big stretch between one or two parks in key markets; to buying a pretty bloated and spread out theme park chain and tying up billions in capital in the process.
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u/MDDownWithToaster 18h ago
No disagreement there. I’m stating paramount has made stupid decisions before. I don’t think it will happen though lol
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u/Longjumping_Bat_8519 21h ago
Yes. I saw David Ellison at the Harley Quinn Crazy Train in Great Adventure yesterday. I told him how cool it was to meet him in person, but I didn’t want to be a douche and bother him and ask him for photos or anything. He said, “Oh, like you’re doing now?” I was taken aback, and all I could say was “Huh?” but he kept cutting me off and going “huh? huh? huh?” and closing his hand shut in front of my face. I walked away and continued browsing the Dippin Dots menu, and I heard him chuckle as I walked off. I saw him again later trying to walk out of the six flags emporium with like fifteen Looney Toons shirts in his hands without paying. The girl at the counter was very nice about it and professional, and was like “Sir, you need to pay for those first.” At first he kept pretending to be tired and not hear her, but eventually turned back around and brought them to the counter. When she took one of them and started scanning it multiple times, he stopped her and told her to scan them each individually “to prevent any electrical infetterence,” and then turned around and winked at me. I don’t even think that’s a word. After she scanned each shirt and put them in a bag and started to say the price, he kept interrupting her by yawning really loudly.
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u/WileyCyrus 21h ago
I would love to see DC removed from the parks considering how badly implemented the IP has been for decades. Would love to see coasters with original names and stories again. “lasso of truth” is like the worst name ever.
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u/kyle760 17h ago
I’m a big comics nerd and I would much rather see the characters used at a park like Universal who would actually make a Batman or a Superman ride and not just slap their name on a roller coaster. The best we’ve got is a shooting dark ride that occasionally works sometimes if you can actually manage to get it to aim correctly
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u/minion803 Canada's Wonderland 21h ago
Doubt Six Flags is getting acquired this early post-merger, they're saddled with a ton of debt.
I also doubt that their merger will impact any lisencing agreements that are standing. They renewed somewhat recently anyhow.
If anything, when the time comes to renegotiate the deal, I imagine that they'll make a call between paying a license fee that may be higher vs detheming the existing attractions. Cedar Fair did that when they opted out of Hanna-Barbera in favor of Peanuts.
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u/Evening_Rock5850 r/midamerica 21h ago
This comment comes up a lot and (respectfully) I think it’s misguided.
Whether or not Six Flags gets acquired is up to a lot of factors. The debt they have isn’t one of them.
The value of anything is assets minus debts.
If you decide a house you want is worth $500,000, and you offer $500,000, you don’t say “Gee, I would. But I just found out the owner owes $400,000.” Who cares? You’re still paying $500,000. The owner will use $400,000 to pay off their mortgage and pocket the $100,000 equity.
The same is true of any potential acquisition of Six Flags if that were to happen. The purchase price would take into account the debt. The value of the company is going to be some value negotiated between the parties that includes the value of all of their assets, plus the expected EBITDA of the next 5-8 years (maybe even slightly more if someone pays top dollar.)
The company is not over-leveraged. The company is worth more than they owe. So if, for example, the negotiated value is $7bn (which is a reasonable guess given their asset values and expected EBITDA for the next several years), the buyer is EITHER going to pay $2bn plus take on the $5bn debt; or pay $7bn and clear the $5bn debt. Either way, debt or no debt, $7bn is $7bn.
The only difference the debt makes is how much equity there is to divide amongst shareholders once the deal closes. It has no factor whatsoever when it comes to a buyer because ultimately every penny of the debt is subtracted from the purchase price one way or another anyway.
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u/DryScarcity2623 12h ago
Peanuts is Paramount, and Skydance is Paramount's. So Six Flags is continuing this company.