InBev Tight-Lipped On Possible SeaWorld Sale

Shamu for sale? SeaWorld, one of Orlando's biggest theme parks, could soon be sold by a new owner anxious to get rid of its debt. The park means 7,000 jobs and it helps drive Central Florida's biggest industry.

Profits for Anheuser-Busch InBev are flatter than day-old beer and the Belgian brewer InBev is trying to get rid of billions of dollars in assets. They won't say yet if that includes theme parks in Orlando and across the country.

SeaWorld owner In-Bev says it needs to sell off $7 billion in assets this year, so Eyewitness News tried to catch up with employees at the park to see if they thought they were part of that plan.

"Are you worried the company might sell the park?" WFTV reporter Eric Rasmussen asked a SeaWorld employee.

"No, it's a good company," the employee said.

Other sources told Eyewitness News that SeaWorld managers met with employees on Wednesday, reassuring them the park would not be sold this year, in part because there were no buyers.

For months, experts have speculated InBev might try to unload all ten theme parks, including three in Orlando run by Busch Entertainment. That sale could make up $4 or $5 billion for the company that's been struggling to pay off debt from last year when it acquired Anheuser-Busch for $52 billion.

When Eyewitness News asked about selling SeaWorld, a VP with InBev sent an e-mail reply saying, "We will not comment on who has approached us for which assets."

Central Florida's economy is dependent on the theme parks. Eyewitness News called around Thursday and learned 399,000 local workers are employed by the tourism industry. That's everything from hotels to restaurants to theme parks.

At the parks, Disney employs 62,000 workers. An estimated 13,000 work at Universal Orlando. Around 7,000 work at the SeaWorld parks.