Behind the Deal: Merlin Entertainments

In this episode of Behind the Deal, we sit down with Blackstone’s Global Head of Private Equity, Joe Baratta, and Senior Managing Director Peter Wallace to discuss our recent acquisition of Merlin Entertainments, a global leader in family entertainment and theme parks. Merlin operates more than 130 attractions in 25 countries, featuring iconic brands that range from LEGOLAND to Madame Tussauds. With more than 67 million guests annually, Merlin is the second-largest visitor attraction business worldwide. In this podcast, Joe and Peter discuss Blackstone’s history building Merlin into a global leader, and our long-term investment plans to help the company continue to expand. They also share their perspectives on the opportunity in live entertainment, one of our high-conviction investment themes.  *     *     *     *     * Neither this podcast nor any of the information contained herein or therein constitutes an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any security or instrument in or to participate in any trading strategy with any Blackstone fund or other investment vehicle. Past performance is not indicative of future results and there is no assurance that any Blackstone fund will achieve its objectives or avoid significant losses. This blog post and the podcast may contain forward-looking statements; such statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties. For information about Blackstone's business, including risks and financial information, please refer to our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For additional information, see Blackstone’s public filings at ir.blackstone.com.