Sale of SeaWorld Orlando-owner expected as early as tomorrow

The Blackstone Group's long-rumored deal to buy SeaWorld Orlando-owner Busch Entertainment Corp. from Anheuser-Busch InBev is expected to be announced as early as tomorrow, according to multiple people familiar with the talks.

The price tag is thought to be between $2.5 billion and $3 billion, these people said. It is possible, though unlikely, that the deal could still fall apart.

The deal would make Blackstone an even bigger player in the global tourism industry. The private-equity giant already owns a 50 percent stake in Universal Orlando and a controlling stake in Merlin Entertainments Group, the British amusement operator whose holdings include Legoland theme parks and Madame Tussauds wax museums.

Busch is the second-largest theme-park operator in the United States, with 10 theme parks around the country, including SeaWorld, Discovery Cove and Aquatica in Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. The Walt Disney Co. is the largest.

Blackstone is expected to operate Busch as a standalone investment, rather than combine it with another holding, at least in the near future.