NEWS: LA Wildfires Cause Universal Theme Park Revenue To Drop

By Samantha Kendall Leave a Comment

Disney versus Universal — it’s been a hot debate for years and continues to be a hot debate today, especially with Epic Universe joining the lineup.

Universal Studios

Despite the projected earnings for Epic Universe in its first year being over one billion dollars, the rest of Universal’s theme park revenue doesn’t seem to be doing so hot. NBCUniversal recently held its first-quarter earnings call, and revenue for the parks was down.

Comcast released its report on NBCUniversal’s first-quarter financial results, and according to the numbers, theme park revenue was down 5% to around $1.88 billion. The report attributed this to lower visitor attendance due to the Los Angeles wildfires.

Universal Studios Hollywood

Both Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal CityWalk closed during the January wildfires that devastated California, which most likely had an impact on the overall losses Universal saw in the theme park division during the first quarter.

In addition to these losses, Comcast reported higher operating expenses this quarter, which included “around $100 million of pre-opening costs for Epic Universe ahead of the scheduled opening in May 2025.” It’s certainly no secret that Universal spared no expense to bring Epic Universe to life.

Universal Studios Hollywood

In a press release, Comcast stated, “Theme Parks remain on an incredible growth trajectory… We could not be more excited for the grand opening of Epic Universe in Orlando next month and our plans to bring a new world-class theme park to the UK.”

Epic Universe

Universal recently announced plans to bring a theme park to Bedford, UK, which is expected to open in 2031. While nothing has been confirmed, rumors have suggested the park could have lands featuring the Lord of the Rings, Paddington, and the James Bond franchise.