Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and JANA Partners announced an investment in Six Flags Entertainment on Tuesday. The investment firm has established a 9% stake in Six Flags worth approximately $200 million, according to a press release from the firm.
Kelce announced the news on his Instagram account.
“To all my fellow theme park and amusement park lovers,” Kelce wrote. “I have some exciting news!!! Couldn’t pass up the opportunity to continue the tradition and make Cedar Point and Six Flags even more special for the next generation of families! Excited to partner with JANA Partners as an investor in Six Flags. So crazy to even imagine this is real, but you gotta love it when life comes full circle.”
The 36-year-old tight end grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, about 65 miles from Cedar Point Amusement Park. USA Today had it listed as one of the top 10 parks in the U.S. in 2024.
“I don’t know a single person from Cleveland that doesn’t love Cedar Point,” said Robert Niles, editor of Theme Park Insider. “So, no surprise to me at all that a guy from Cleveland would want to be associated with any effort to make Cedar Point an even better place than it already is.”
In 2025, Six Flags’ stock had dropped more than 45%. According to the Wall Street Journal, bad weather, decreasing attendance and an increasing number of competitors have all been key factors in the company’s struggles.
“A lot of people in the industry will acknowledge that Six Flags is a mess right now,” Niles said. “The merger of Six Flags and Cedar Fair has not delivered the benefits that people were hoping for. The headwinds that these parks have been fighting have just been too strong for them. Those two companies had to borrow a lot of money to get through the pandemic, and the shrinking buying power of the middle class has really hurt their core market.”
Following the purchase announcement by Kelce and JANA Partners, the share price for Six Flags rose over 20 percent. At the close of the market, it was up almost 18 percent. This kind of news that brings excitement is something that Six Flags desperately needs, Niles said.
“Kelce is a big name, but he’s also somebody that a lot of people identify with,” Niles said. “He’s a phenomenally rich person who’s about to marry an even more phenomenally wealthy person, but he’s an Ohio guy. He wears that on his sleeve. That’s a celebrity connection that makes sense. There are a lot of celebrities you could bring in where you think, ‘What the heck does this guy have to do with the theme park business?’ But when Kelce talks about, ‘I’m a Six Flags fan,’ that resonates. People desperately want a fan representative that can get the attention of the board and the management.”
Kelce has looked to capitalize on his growing stardom, thanks to his NFL success and relationship with pop star Taylor Swift. The seven-time All-Pro invested in Formula 1’s Alpine Team and has a partnership with American Eagle. He also makes appearances in commercials as part of collaborations with Subway and State Farm. Forbes estimates that Kelce’s net worth is approximately $70 million.
