United Parks teases more IP partnerships for SeaWorld and Busch Gardens
United Parks & Resorts is looking beyond this year’s Howl-O-Scream collaborations as it pursues additional intellectual property for its theme parks. During the company’s second-quarter earnings call Aug. 4, CEO Marc Swanson said United Parks is engaged in multiple active discussions to introduce more IP at its parks in new and innovative ways.
Swanson did not identify the properties under consideration or specify which parks could receive them. The company expects to share additional information for 2027 and beyond.
Howl-O-Scream becomes a bigger part of United Parks’ growth strategy
United Parks & Resorts has historically built Howl-O-Scream around original haunted houses, scare zones and characters, with relatively little reliance on licensed entertainment properties. That changes significantly in 2026 through a Sony Pictures partnership bringing “I Know What You Did Last Summer” to SeaWorld parks and “Anaconda” to Busch Gardens.
Courtesy of SeaWorld
CEO Marc Swanson now describes licensed intellectual property as a “significant opportunity” for Howl-O-Scream. Early ticket sales for the event are already running ahead of last year across the company’s parks.
Established movie franchises arrive with recognizable imagery and built-in awareness that original concepts must generate independently. That could help Howl-O-Scream reach new and incremental visitors while creating more marketable seasonal experiences.
Licensed characters now stretch across SeaWorld’s calendar
Howl-O-Scream is not United Parks’ first experiment with outside entertainment properties. SeaWorld partnered with The Pinkfong Company in 2025 to bring Baby Shark and Pinkfong appearances to its three U.S. SeaWorld parks. The collaboration returned to SeaWorld Orlando this summer with a live show, character greetings, themed food and merchandise available through Sept. 7. SeaWorld’s original announcement specifically described Baby Shark as a way to connect with families in a new way.
Related: Sesame Street parent company sues to be removed from SeaWorld and Busch Gardens theme parks
Licensed characters also remain part of the company’s Christmas celebrations. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Bumble and other characters from the television special have appeared at SeaWorld and Busch Gardens holiday events for years, supporting meet-and-greets, themed areas and seasonal merchandise. SeaWorld Orlando currently lists Rudolph and Bumble among its Christmas Celebration experiences.
Courtesy of SeaWorld San Antonio
Together, those partnerships create a recognizable seasonal progression: Baby Shark targets young families during summer, horror movies expand Howl-O-Scream’s reach in the fall, and Rudolph strengthens the nostalgic family appeal of Christmas. Howl-O-Scream represents the most aggressive extension of that strategy yet because United Parks is introducing licensed franchises into an event historically defined by its original creativity.
Looking ahead, it seems guests have some familiar faces and stories to look forward to seeing at SeaWorld and Busch Gardens.
More Attractions Magazine stories
Follow us:
No matter where you want to go, our trusted partner MEI-Travel will handle the planning so you can focus on the memories. They offer free vacation-planning services and have nearly 20 years of experience creating memorable vacations. Visit MEI-Travel for a fee-free, no-obligation quote today.
