With Comcast confirming the US$3.8bn (€3.4bn, £2.6bn) acquisition of DreamWorks, sources close to the deal say the move isn’t about acquiring its famous IPs to produce movies, rather to boost its
theme park businesses and accelerate consumer products.
According to
The Wall Street Journal, the takeover of DreamWorks will see the departure of chief executive Jeffrey Katzenberg, who has been part of the company since its foundation in 1994.
The move by Comcast is similar to that of Disney, which in the past decade has acquired companies including Marvel Entertainment and Lucasfilm, both of which have been roaring successes for the entertainment giant.
Following the acquisition, the DreamWorks portfolio will be mined for IPs such as
Shrek,
Madagascar and
How to Train Your Dragon, which will be used as attractions at its theme parks, opening up a host of new characters for Universal to play with. In addition to acquiring DreamWorks IPs, the move also gives Comcast access to the likes of
Casper the Friendly Ghost,
Lassie and
Where’s Wally after DreamWorks acquired Classic Media for US$155mm (€136.5m, £106.5m) in 2012.
Comcast subsidiary NBCUniversal has more than doubled investment in its parks, promising at least one great new attraction for each Universal theme park every year.
