Merlin IPO suggests purchase of Busch Entertainment

Posted September 10, 2009, 10:17A | Contributed by Jeff

Rumors of a potential sale of Busch Entertainment Corp. were rekindled this week by news that Merlin Entertainments Group, long thought to be a potential Busch suitor, is preparing to go public. Merlin is close to finalizing a plan for an initial public offering on the London Stock Exchange, according to a report last weekend in The Independent of London. Merlin is owned by a private-equity giant, the Blackstone Group, which also holds a 50 percent stake in Universal Orlando.