Six Flags to consolidate Georgia park holdings by 2027

The Brief

• Six Flags plans to consolidate ownership of Six Flags Over Georgia and Six Flags White Water by purchasing remaining shares.
• The company will pay $332.6 million for the shares it doesn’t own, with the final amount subject to inflation adjustments before the deal closes in 2027.
• The acquisition will give Six Flags total control of the Georgia parks, which have been integral to its operations since 1967.
• This move is part of a broader strategy to simplify park ownership and potentially increase profits following a $2 billion merger with Cedar Fair.
• Six Flags has not provided further public comments on the deal but is reevaluating its 42 park properties.

Six Flags Entertainment Corporation has announced plans to consolidate ownership of Six Flags Over Georgia theme park and its associated water park, Six Flags White Water. 

The company revealed in a recent filing with the SEC that it is using an option in its long-standing partnership agreements to purchase the remaining shares of the parks. Currently, Six Flags runs the parks but doesn’t own them completely.

 When the agreement was first made in 1997, the partnership was valued at $250 million. Adjusted for inflation, the value has grown to $483.5 million as of the end of 2023. 

Six Flags will pay $332.6 million to buy the shares it doesn’t already own, though this amount could change depending on inflation before the deal closes in early 2027. 

The move will give Six Flags total control of the Georgia parks, which have been a key part of its operations since they opened in 1967. 

This change is part of Six Flags’ plan to simplify ownership of its parks and potentially boost profits in the wake of its $2 billion merger with Cedar Fair over the summer. The company hasn’t made any further public comments about the deal, but stated earlier in the year, it was reevaluating its 42 park properties.

By Travis Maurer from FOX 5 Atlanta