Viacom's Financial Results--2004

Viacom reported financial results for Q4 and all of 2004 this morning. For FY 2004, total revenue was up 8% to $22.5 billion. However, they're posting a loss of $13B, due to writing down some of the value of their radio and outdoor advertising divisions.

The Entertainment division which includes Paramount Pictures, publishing, chain of theaters, and Paramount Parks, was down 1% on the year to $4.1B. HOWEVER, they reported Paramount Park's revenue increased 9% due to increased attendance that was offset slightly by lower per capita spending.

So, looks like the parks had a good year! Anytime you get 9% revenue growth in a mature business it's a good thing.

Joel

Paramount is building a dynasty of parks.

The revamp of the waterpark helped the food service department at KI rake in alot of that extra dough.

Well the wait staff idea was a great idea.

If you listen to the Conference Call at 23 min 35 sec into it he says they are going to sell the parks.


http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?...eventID=1000294

Actually, it says they are considering selling their parks because they are not a core asset. This is the second time I have heard mention of Paramount selling their parks. It was brought up as a possibility a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunatly I don`t think there are any interested buyers at this point in time for the Paramount Parks. Additionally, I believe that Paramount is finally starting to turn the parks into something special and unique from other seasonal themers. It would be ashame to loose that vision and get new owners with new ideas now. It will be interesting to see what happens. Perhaps, Paramount Parks will spin off into its own company like KECO did. But then it would lack the financial backing and possibly the Paramount licenses. Only time will tell what the future holds for Paramount Parks and how it relates to Kings Island.

EDIT: Tom McGrath, a former Viacom executive, who stepped down from Paramount Enterprises last summer has approached Viacom with investment firms about acquiring Paramount Parks from Viacom. It seems as if Paramount Parks may indeed be spun off into their own company afterall. Read more here at Coasterbuzz. If you read the attached article it says that Paramount Parks will be put to auction in the next coming months and could fetch between $900 million and a billion dollars. The article also mentiones the most likely buyers (besides Tom McGrath) to be Cedar Fair and Universal.

So it seems it is only a matter of time before Paramount Parks changes ownership. It will be interesting to see what happens!

Well what could happen? I mean no matter who buys it - it will still be here, and still be fun to go to. If Universal bought it - it would be awesome. But Cedar Fair would be cool too. I think if they bought PKI - they would either shut down PKI or close Geauga Lake.

So are they selling all the paramount parks?

I would say they are but I don't know about Star Trek exp.

Look at it this way: what company is strong enough to buy Paramount Parks, and would they have an interest in them?

Cedar Fair! OMG! I think The-Snapper was right! LOL :lol:

"The group expressed its interest to Viacom earlier this year in an attempt to preempt an auction of Paramount Parks, which is expected within the next few months."

"Besides the McGrath-led team, other potential buyers for the division include amusement park operators Cedar Fair, L.P. and Universal Parks, which is partly owned by NBC Universal and Blackstone Group, as well as other private equity firms. Six Flags and Busch Entertainment Corp., a subsidiary of brewer Anheuser-Busch, are also viewed as possible but less likely buyers."

I doubt it'll be Six Flags... Bush Gardens or Cedar Fair would be ok, but personally, I'd much rather see it stay with Viacom.

Anything could happen but I will believe it when I see it.

Keep in mind the quote about "possible suitors" is from the author of the article in the New York Post, not from Viacom or any of the potentially involved companies. Dennis Spiegel, who runs one of the most successful attraction consulting companies (based in Cincinnati, BTW) had this to say in an article in a Toronto paper:
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The operations could sell for between $800-million and $1-billion, according to industry watcher Dennis Speigel, the president of consultancy International Theme Park Services Inc. He said in an interview from his office in Cincinnati that Viacom has been shopping the division around for a couple of weeks.

There are six major operators of theme parks in North America, which account for nearly 75 per cent of all theme park receipts. The other big five are under pressure to improve their own balance sheets and likely won't bid on Paramount, Mr. Speigel said. He expects one of the large private equity companies to put in an offer.

“In my opinion, the way to go with this is to take it private,” he said, adding that while growth within the industry has been flat in recent years, operators have stable revenues — which large buyout firms like Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., Blackstone Group and Apollo Management crave.
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You don't have to dig very far into the "other five's" balance sheets to realize what taking on a BILLION dollars worth of debt would do to them. (The other five BTW, would be Six Flags, Cedar Fair, Disney, Busch, and NBC/Universal.) One of which is already in so much debt that they probably can't even get a corporate Amex card at this point (SF); two have also said they've considered getting out of the park business all together (Busch & NBC), and the other isn't big enough to take on a BILLION dollar acquisition without leveraging all their other assets to the hilt (CF). Not to mention, Kinzel and his team have been too smart about growth and building shareholder value to risk it in a flashy move like this.

HOWEVER--if Paramount Parks was spun off into an independent company (like Blockbuster was), I guess I could see a situation where the new company and Cedar Fair could merge (as equals) to form a new combined company. It appears that Paramount has a pretty strong management team in Charlotte, and Kinzel is retiring in 2007, but no sucessor has yet been named. Hmmmmm.....

But in probability, as I said a few weeks ago...my prediction would be a sale to a large equity firm or REIT, who'll license the media properties from Viacom. That's the win/win situation for everyone...