Sesame Workshop and Busch Entertainment Corp. Announce Expanded Partnership

ST. LOUIS, Aug. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Busch Entertainment Corporation (BEC), the family entertainment subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc., today signed a long-term agreement with nonprofit educational organization Sesame Workshop to create fixed Sesame Street-themed attractions in four of its U.S. parks -- SeaWorld California in San Diego, SeaWorld Texas in San Antonio, Busch Gardens Africa in Tampa, Fla., and Busch Gardens Europe in Williamsburg, Va. In addition, the Sesame Street characters will make periodic appearances at SeaWorld Florida in Orlando beginning in 2007.

Also as part of this agreement, Sesame Workshop has agreed to extend BEC's license to feature Sesame Street characters in Sesame Place, the company's Langhorne, Pa. park. Sesame Place, the nation's only theme park based on Sesame Street, opened in 1980. Most recently, Sesame Place opened "Elmo's World," an all-new land with three new rides themed after the popular red furry monster.

"Sesame Workshop and Busch Entertainment both aim to bring families fun and interactive experiences. We commend Busch Entertainment for their 26 years of partnership with Sesame Place and we look forward to extending this commitment through new Sesame Street locations in SeaWorld and Busch Gardens parks that will transform the entertaining and educational features of the television series into memorable experiences for families across the country," said Gary E. Knell, President and CEO, Sesame Workshop.

BEC President and Chairman of the Board Keith M. Kasen said the partnership with Sesame Workshop will enhance BEC's long tradition of delivering high-quality family entertainment to its guests.

"Over the past 26 years we have come to appreciate just how well known and loved the Sesame characters are and the kind of connection guests can make with them in a theme park setting like Sesame Place," said Kasen. "The deal we are announcing today allows us to offer these kinds of experiences at SeaWorld and Busch Gardens. These parks combined play host to more than 19 million people each year."

Kasen said that development of Sesame-themed attractions for SeaWorld and Busch Gardens will begin in the next several months as part of the deal, which establishes BEC as the exclusive U.S. theme park partner of Sesame Workshop.

"We will provide our guests with attractions that showcase wonderful characters like Ernie and Bert, Big Bird, Elmo and Oscar the Grouch, and do it in a way that fits with the unique themes of our SeaWorld and Busch Gardens parks." Kasen said Sesame attractions at SeaWorld and Busch Gardens might include family rides, water elements, live character shows, 4-D film attractions or character dining programs.

Plans call for the first Sesame-themed attraction to open in 2008. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

BEC operates the nine Anheuser-Busch Adventure Parks: SeaWorld parks in Orlando, Fla., San Diego, Calif., and San Antonio, Texas; Busch Gardens parks in Tampa, Fla. and Williamsburg, Va.; Discovery Cove in Orlando; Sesame Place in Langhorne, Pa., near Philadelphia; water parks Adventure Island in Tampa and Water Country USA in Williamsburg. BEC and its parks employ nearly 20,000 people nationwide.

Sesame Workshop is a nonprofit educational organization making a meaningful difference in the lives of children around the world. Founded in 1968, the Workshop changed television forever with the legendary Sesame Street. Today, the Workshop continues to innovate on behalf of children in 120 countries, using its proprietary research methodology to ensure its programs and products are engaging and enriching. Sesame Workshop is behind award-winning programs like Dragon Tales, Sagwa, The Chinese Siamese Cat, Pinky Dinky Doo and groundbreaking multimedia productions in South Africa, Egypt and Russia.

As a nonprofit, Sesame Workshop puts the proceeds it receives from sales of Sesame Street, Dragon Tales, Sagwa, and Pinky products back into its educational projects for children around the world. Find the Workshop online at http://www.sesameworkshop.org/ .