Comcast NBCUniversal To Acquire Remaining 49% Stake In Universal Studios Japan

(RTTNews) - Comcast NBCUniversal said Tuesday that it agreed to purchase 49 percent ownership of Universal Studios Japan (USJ) from its current partners, including Goldman Sachs, former USJ Chief Executive Officer Glenn Gumpel, Asian private-equity firm MBK Partners and U.S. hedge fund Owl Creek Asset Management. The purchase price for this transaction is 254.8 billion yen or US$2.3 billion, valuing Universal Studios Japan at 840 billion yen or US$7.4 billion, including the assumption of USJ net debt.

Upon completion of the transaction, Comcast NBCUniversal will own 100 percent of the theme park destination.

The transaction is expected to close before the end of April 2017.

Universal Studios Japan opened in 2001 as a Japanese company with a license from NBCUniversal.