ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Kansas City Chiefs star and Super Bowl champion Travis Kelce is making a business move that could have effects in the Lehigh Valley.
Kelce, a National Football League (NFL) star and lifelong Cedar Point fan, has teamed up with activist investment firm Jana Partners in a bid to help boost Six Flags, the parent company of Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom in South Whitehall Township. The founder of Jana Partners, Barry Rosenstein, is a graduate of Lehigh University.
Jana Partners announced Tuesday that it partnered with Kelce, consumer executive Glenn Murphy and technology executive Dave Habiger in an investment that now gives the group a 9% ownership stake in Six Flags.
The company, which merged with Cedar Fair in 2024, operates dozens of amusement and water parks across North America, including Dorney Park, Cedar Point and Kings Island.
In a statement, Jana said the group plans to engage with Six Flags’ management and board “regarding opportunities to enhance shareholder value and improve the guest experience.”
Six Flags spokesman Gary Rhodes said the company welcomes the new investors’ involvement.
“We appreciate the perspectives of shareholders and take their feedback seriously as we continue to advance our initiatives to increase attendance, enhance our guest experience and drive profitable growth and shareholder value,” Rhodes said.
The company has struggled since the merger, with steep drops in attendance and revenue through the first half of the year and speculation about potential park sell-offs. Its stock price has fallen more than 50 percent since the merger. Shares jumped 21 percent Tuesday following news of the Jana-Kelce partnership.
Kelce, who is engaged to Pennsylvania native Taylor Swift, shared his excitement about the investment in a social media post and on his podcast.
“I 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,” he said. “So crazy to even imagine this is real, but you gotta love it when life comes full circle.”
For Lehigh Valley residents, the move brings fresh attention to Dorney Park — a local mainstay that’s part of the Six Flags family. The park has been a summertime favorite for generations, and some industry watchers said they hope the new investor group will bring renewed energy and investment to regional parks like Dorney as Six Flags works to regain its footing.
