Comcast NBCUniversal To Buy 51% Stake In Universal Studios Japan For $1.5 Bln

(RTTNews) - Comcast NBCUniversal said Monday that it has agreed to purchase 51% ownership of Universal Studios Japan for 183 billion yen or US$1.5 billion.

Comcast stated that the other current owners Goldman Sachs, USJ's CEO Glenn Gumpel, Asian private-equity firm MBK Partners, and U.S. hedge fund Owl Creek Asset Management will remain as minority shareholders.

Acquiring majority ownership of Universal Studios Japan continues Comcast NBCUniversal's ongoing investment strategy for it's U.S. parks in Orlando and Hollywood.

"We want to expand our theme park business around the world and this investment in Universal Studios Japan fits perfectly with that strategy," "Our theme parks in the U.S. have performed exceptionally well and we look forward to working with our partners to achieve that success in Japan as we plan to introduce significant attractions at USJ over the next five years," said Steve Burke, CEO of NBCUniversal.