Virtual reality (VR) rides, including three carrying the Superman brand, helped boost attendance at Six Flags Entertainment parks in 2016, Six Flags executives told analysts. Six Flags installed 19 VR-based roller coasters in 12 parks last year, including Superman Ride of Steel (Marlboro, MD), Krypton Coaster (Agawam, MA) and Superman Ultimate Flight (San Antonio, TX). Six Flags’ park attendance increased 1.6 million in 2016 to 30.1 million. “The VR rides were a major reason that people came to our parks last year,” says Six Flags CEO John Duffey told analysts.

The rides are paired with Samsung VR Gear headsets and Six Flags created four VR worlds.  Meanwhile, Six Flags is expanding its assortment of Justice League: Battle for Metropolis 3D roller coasters to seven with the addition of rides in Six Flags Magic Mountain, Six Flags Great Adventure and Six Flags Over Georgia. Three new The Joker Free Fly rides will open at Six Flags over Texas, Six Flags Great America and Six Flags New England.

The new rides come as Six Flags suffered a setback in its international amusement park licensing business. Six Flags reversed $5 million in revenue accrued for a park being built in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam after licensee Navi Entertainment defaulted on the contract for the project, Duffey said. While Navi “failed to fulfill its obligation” during the park’s initial construction, Six Flags is confident that it can “get this project back on track,” Duffey said. Six Flags sponsorship, licensing and others fees declined to $12.3 million Q4 ended Dec. 31 from $17.5 million a year earlier. Overall, Six Flags Q4 net income slipped to $1.8 million from $2.1 million a year ago as revenue rose 10% to $239 million.

Contact:

Six Flags Entertainment, Stephen Purtell, Investor Relations Mgr., 972-595-5180, spurtell@sftp.com