Reports: Six Flags, Cedar Point parent companies in merger talks

Two of the country’s largest regional amusement park firms — Sandusky-based Cedar Fair Entertainment Co. and Six Flags Entertainment Corp., based in Texas — are discussing a merger, according to reports in the Wall Street Journal and Reuters.

Both media outlets reported the terms of the deal could be announced this week. Reuters said an announcement could come Thursday, when Cedar Fair reports quarterly earnings.

The two outlets say Cedar Fair in 2019 had pursued a deal to purchase Six Flags, which bills itself on its website as “the world’s largest regional theme park company with $1.4 billion in revenue in 2019 and 27 parks across the United States, Mexico and Canada.”

Six Flags’ three closest venues to Ohio are in Chicago and Buffalo.

With $1.82 billion in revenue last year, Cedar Fair owns and operates 11 regional amusement parks, four water parks, two sports destinations, more than 2,300 overnight accommodations, and dozens of restaurants.

In addition to owning Cedar Point, the Cedar Point Shores water park and two other venues in Sandusky, Cedar Fair owns Michigan’s Adventure in Muskegon, Michigan, as well as Kings Island outside Cincinnati.

The Journal reported Cedar Fair last year rejected a $3.4 billion deal purchase offer made by Sea World.

The Journal reported that Cedar Fair and Six Flags both have struggled due to extreme heat in much of the country this summer, but said both companies saw sharp increases in their stock prices after the merger plan was reported Wednesday.

Reuters said a merger could bolster both firms’ bottom lines.

The news outlets said neither company immediately responded to requests for comment.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Reports: Cedar Point, Six Flags parent companies in merger talks