Latest news with #contractextensions
Zawya
2 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Arabian Drilling unveils 4-rig contract extensions with Aramco
Riyadh: Arabian Drilling secured contract extensions for four of its rigs with Saudi Aramco, with a combined backlog value of SAR 1.37 billion and durations ranging between one to 10 years. This milestone boosts the company's current backlog to SAR 11.10 billion, according to a press release. In line with its commitment to delivering exceptional service quality, Arabian Drilling is expected to realize the financial impact of extensions starting the third quarter (Q3) of 2025. Ghassan Mirdad, CEO of Arabian Drilling, commented: "Securing these contract extensions enhances our financial stability and reinforces our strategic position within the industry as we advance towards achieving sustained growth and realizing long-term success in a competitive market.' In November 2024, the two companies inked an extension deal for land rigs at a value of SAR 290 million.
Argaam
3 days ago
- Business
- Argaam
Arabian Drilling secures 4-rig contract extensions with Aramco for SAR 1.4B
Arabian Drilling Co. secures contract extensions for four of its rigs with Saudi Arabian Oil co. (Saudi Aramco) totaling a combined backlog value of SAR 1.37 billion with durations varying between one to 10 years. In a statement to Tadawul, the company said that this significant milestone elevates the company's current backlog to SAR 11.1 billion, expecting to realize the financial impact of extensions starting from Q3 2025. The renewal of these contracts is a key component of Arabian Drilling's efforts to extend the operational life of rigs scheduled to expire this year, which initially totaled 22 rigs on 31 March 2025. Following the prior announcement in May 2025, where Arabian Drilling extended contracts for two rigs, each for a period of 10 years, discussions continue regarding the renewal of the remaining rigs, the statement added. According to data available on Argaam, Arabian Drilling extended, in May, long-term contracts for two onshore drilling rigs with Saudi Aramco, valued at SAR 1.06 billion, with a duration of 10 years for each drilling rig.
BBC News
24-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Mukena and Sandford sign new Crawley deals
Joy Mukena and Ryan Sandford have both signed contract extensions to remain at Crawley Mukena has agreed a new one-year deal, while goalkeeper Sandford has extended his stay by six months after missing the entirety of last season with a knee 25, made 25 appearances for the Reds last season before his campaign was also ended with an injury to his knee in played 18 times as Crawley won promotion to League One in 26, moved to Broadfield Stadium from AFC Wimbledon but is yet to make an appearance for Crawley, having not played a professional game since December 2022 while on loan at Maidstone United from Millwall. "We wanted to make sure that both Joy and Ryan were looked after in the appropriate manner after they suffered unfortunate injuries last season," chairman Preston Johnson told the club's website, external. "We continue to make big strides in looking after both players and staff at Crawley Town Football Club, and releasing the pair with the injuries that they faced would not have been right or fair. "That, paired with the fact that we believe both of them can make worthwhile contributions to the team, made this a very easy decision."Scott Lindsey's side finished last season 21st in League One and were relegated to the fourth tier.
Washington Post
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Jordan Schultz: Starbucks scion and … NFL reporter?
NEW YORK — One day in March, Jordan Schultz boarded a plane to Miami to meet Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins at a steakhouse in Miami Beach. It was shaping up as a big day for the two star wide receivers, who were set to sign lucrative contract extensions with the Cincinnati Bengals. It was also important to Schultz, an NFL reporter, who was planning to break the news. The trio settled in at Prime 112, a classic Miami restaurant steps from the beach, and waited as the players worked to finalize the deals, the players' phones buzzing incessantly over the anticipated news, Schultz recalled. He tapped out a draft of a social media post, planning to send it the moment the deals were official. It was an enviable position for a sports reporter who (sort of) makes his name and (theoretically) his living dishing out scoops about the league he covers. It was also one Schultz was uniquely positioned to be in, thanks in part to the fact that his dad, Howard, is the billionaire former CEO of Starbucks. The younger Schultz has become a more visible figure around the country's most popular sport of late, making regular appearances on Fox Sports — guest hosting Colin Cowherd's show and contributing to the network's website — and hosting an NFL podcast with the NBA's Draymond Green. Among the stories he has broken are Rob Gronkowski's retirement, Chase's and Higgins's contracts, Russell Wilson's benching, and a flurry of free agent signings. 'He's a good-looking guy with big energy,' Cowherd said. 'Every time he came on, it was a good 10 to 12 minutes of television.' Keyshawn Johnson, a former NFL star turned Fox Sports talking head, added: 'I used to tell him: 'Why would you be even doing this? Are you f---ing stupid?' If my last name were Schultz, I'd be on that 300-foot yacht after I take one of those private jets somewhere — not chasing some damn story. But Jordan ain't looking for that. He's a workaholic. He wants to blaze his own trail.' Having any amount of intel in the cutthroat world of the NFL means Schultz, 39, is a person of interest around the league. But he's also a controversial one, especially among reporters. With every scoop comes questions from other reporters about how he got it, with some accusing him of trading on his family wealth and flouting journalistic ethics. Along with dining with them in Miami Beach, Schultz has hosted a player at his home, vacationed with another and sent expensive gifts to league executives, too. The tension between him and more traditional journalists spilled over at the NFL combine in Indianapolis this year, when Schultz and Ian Rapoport, a top news breaker for NFL Network, had a confrontation at a hotel Starbucks — yes, a Starbucks — over how they do their jobs. It boomeranged around the internet, was tittered about by Charles Barkley on TV and required the attention of NFL security. Schultz views himself as 'a new breed of sports journalist,' he said, 'breaking the mold of traditional reporting by forging direct, trust-based relationships with athletes.' 'Any suggestion that access is facilitated by a nice dinner or offering someone my guest bedroom is ludicrous,' he added. 'These players make millions of dollars a year.' One veteran NFL reporter offered another description: 'Jordan is Saudi-wealth-funding the insider game. He's doing what LIV did to golf.' At the steakhouse that night, the job seemed simple enough to Schultz. He showed the draft of the social media post to Chase, he said, to make sure he approved. (The wide receivers' agent did not respond to an interview request.) 'I had the wording, and I showed it to Ja'Marr, and Ja'Marr was like, 'I like this, but we should show Tee,'' Schultz recalled. 'Tee came in, and he was like, 'Tee, check this out.'' Higgins looked it over. 'He read it,' Schultz said. 'And I was so nervous because ... what if he's like, 'No, I'm not into that'?' Higgins paused before he delivered his verdict. 'He's like, 'That's smooth,'' Schultz said. A few minutes later, the players called the Bengals, and Schultz sent the tweet. 'BREAKING,' it began in all caps. 'WRs Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins exclusively tell me they've agreed to contract extensions with the team.' SCHULTZ SPENT HIS FORMATIVE YEARS in Seattle obsessed, like many kids are, with the local teams, including the NBA's SuperSonics. One key distinction: His dad owned the SuperSonics. For Schultz, it was a dream. He worked out at the team facility with players. Ray Allen broke his nose in a game. He once beat Rashard Lewis in a game of H-O-R-S-E. His friends peppered him with questions about whom the team might sign. (Sometimes he knew, he said, but he kept the secret.) Sports were always a source of comfort for him. He was diagnosed with dyslexia as a kid, and the New York Times' Sports section helped him learn to read. He routinely called in to local Seattle sports radio shows, too. He played basketball through high school and for two years at Occidental, where he met players who lived outside the wealthy bubble in which he grew up. Part of his interest in sports media, though, traces to how he viewed coverage of Sonics players and his dad, both as executive and team owner — especially after Schultz sold the team and it moved to Oklahoma City. 'I banked the way that the media treated my dad and treated the company,' he said. 'And then when we had the team, I was really aware of how the local Seattle media treated the players and my dad. I decided that if I ever was in the position to be a conduit for the players that I would put a real emphasis on creating genuine relationships. And so it might not be the traditional sports media that others conform to, but for me, it's the only way to do it.' During high school, Schultz told his parents he was not going into the coffee business. They took the news well. 'What dad wouldn't want to build one of the world's most successful, ubiquitous brands and not give it to their son?' Schultz said. 'But my dad and mom were really supportive.' 'I'm very proud of what Jordan has accomplished since deciding to forge his own path,' Howard Schultz wrote in an email. During college, Schultz did an internship at the Los Angeles Times and wrote a sports column for HuffPost. He hosted a radio show for NBC, too, and his co-host, Adam Kuperstein, recalled that Schultz would book guests that didn't really belong on an obscure show. 'He'd get Damian Lillard for an interview or text some player that added real insight to a story,' Kuperstein recalled. 'It was a big deal for a Sunday morning show.' Schultz wrote for Yahoo before jumping to ESPN, where he worked on a betting show and covered college basketball. At one point, Max Kellerman, a former co-star of morning show 'First Take,' got him booked on a couple of episodes. Afterward, Kellerman told him that producers liked him but didn't know how to define him. He covered too many sports. Was he an analyst or a reporter? So Schultz went all-in on the NFL. He leveraged existing contacts and steamrolled his way to new ones, connecting with many players on social media. He's naturally gregarious, in person and on TV, and said he leaned on his backgrounds in C-suites and AAU hoops to connect with people of all stripes. (He hosted a popular podcast with NBA star CJ McCollum around that time, and after ESPN, he had stops at websites the Score and Bleacher Report.) Schultz's first big break was getting Gronkowski's retirement in 2022. 'That was the first time a lot of people within the NFL circles had probably heard my name,' he said. 'Because it was Gronk retiring and it had the stamp of 'Rob Gronkowski tells Jordan Schultz.'' He started going to the combine, did TV hits with Pat McAfee and launched the podcast with Green. He now sends his updates on social media with a blaring 'Breaking News' slogan. He may not be as prolific breaking NFL news as, say, ESPN's Adam Schefter. But by the time free agency came this year, Mike Florio, an NFL commentator for NBC who also publishes his own website, said he was following Schultz like any other insider. 'He's arrived,' Florio said. ONE SPRING DAY IN MANHATTAN, Schultz answered the door at his home. He wore a white dress shirt, a few buttons loose at the collar, and he was barefoot. A large photograph of the Oregon coast hung in the foyer next to an elevator that reached the upper regions of the house. A staircase wound its way skyward. Asked how many floors it went up, Schultz smiled. 'It's big,' he said. 'But that doesn't have to go in the story.' Schultz works out of an office on the first floor filled with memorabilia. A signed Ichiro Suzuki glove. A photograph from the 1958 NFL championship game. Several shelves are filled with sports books and the memoirs of successful moguls, among them Rick Rubin and Phil Knight. Two books by Schultz's father are on the shelf. He splits his time between New York and a farm in Connecticut, which shelters pigs, sheep, horses and goats. (Four dogs and a cat live in the Manhattan house.) When he's not busy working the phones, Schultz coaches his son's Little League team and attends his daughter's music performances. Even after rejecting the coffee business, Schultz is blessed with options. Just within sports, he could probably put together an ownership group for a team, launch an agency to represent players or make documentaries. But he has chosen perhaps the most competitive corner of sports media: breaking NFL news. 'The ownership thing felt really nepo to me,' he said. 'That's a word I never want to be associated with.' News breaking is a way to chart his own path away from his father, Schultz explained. 'For me, I love sports, I love football, I love winning,' he said. 'And there's very few jobs that would fulfill the competitive spirit and fire that is within me.' Schultz's path bears no resemblance to other insiders. Adrian Wojnarowski, the recently retired NBA scoop king, parlayed a career of basketball beat writing into NBA insider stardom; Schefter and Rapoport did the same in the NFL. Shams Charania, Wojnarowski's successor at ESPN, used to drive hours just to get a credential to an NBA game. But they also pioneered a brand of reporting that, by prioritizing bite-sized breaking news above all else, makes relationships with agents and executives paramount and normalizes source-friendly framing of news stories. In many ways, they lit the path for Schultz, who goes even further, viewing his job as something closer to the Players' Tribune, which specializes in first-person essays by athletes. It has led to seemingly genuine friendships with players such as Eagles running back AJ Dillon, who connected with Schultz through social media. Dillon said he appreciated little things about how Schultz does his job, such as posting highlights of a player on social media when he signs a contract. Schultz can be a sounding board on questions about Dillon's new foundation and has been willing to help publicize Dillon's charity work. (Does that mean Schultz is breaking Dillon's next contract? 'That's up to my agent,' Dillon said.) Beyond that, Bijan Robinson, a running back for the Atlanta Falcons, has stayed at Schultz's house in Manhattan. Patrick Surtain II, a Denver Broncos cornerback, has vacationed with him on a family boat in Costa Rica. These sorts of relationships are frowned on by traditional journalists, who do take sources out for meals but typically expense them, making the spending subject to the approval of a news organization. Media companies often have ethics policies that bar such relationships because they can lead to favorable coverage. 'Is that immoral? Maybe it sounds like other reporters think it is,' Schultz said. 'If I'm going on a dope vacation and invite Pat [and] he comes for a few days, people can judge and say that's not how they would do things. I just know that, for me, it's really important to have these friendships.' Schultz said his approach can have real benefits to players. Not long ago, he was going to break the story of a contract extension for an NFL player. As part of his report, the team's general manager wanted Schultz to include information about the player's injury history and missed games. Schultz was with Green at the time, and the general manager solicited the NBA star's input. On the phone together, Schultz and Green urged the GM to green-light a report friendlier to the player. Eventually, Schultz said, the GM agreed. 'The team kind of ate a bullet,' Schultz said. FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS NOW, Schultz said, he has been hearing the whispers. Several of his sources around the league have told him that Rapoport had been bad-mouthing him, accusing him of offering Starbucks stock or Uber stock in exchange for information. 'Ridiculous things of that nature,' Schultz said. 'Total blasphemy, dumb, unfounded — and yet very damaging.' Schultz had already made up his mind that he needed to talk to Rapoport at this year's combine, he said. Then, days before, Schultz reported that Tom Brady, a newly minted owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, had hosted quarterback Matthew Stafford at an exclusive ski resort in Montana to discuss a potential move. (Brady was also a Fox colleague.) Rapoport followed with a report that Brady hadn't hosted him. 'I'll let any football fan be the judge of that,' Schultz said. 'I know what I was told.' With the entire NFL world gathered in Indianapolis, Schultz happened to see Rapoport at a hotel Starbucks. As Schultz recalls it, he went up to him and said: 'You know what you did. And I said, 'This has got to stop.' And I was very clear, if you have a problem with me, just talk to me.' Schultz said the encounter lasted 90 seconds. Rapoport, an NFL Media employee, reported the exchange to his boss, which resulted in league security reviewing the incident, according to an NFL spokesman. In a statement, Rapoport wrote: 'I hadn't heard that Jordan was accused of offering Uber stock as an incentive for scoops until he was screaming in my face at the now-infamous Starbucks.' He, too, stood by his Brady and Stafford reporting. Another story that circulated among reporters was that Schultz sent a Cumulus cold brew coffee machine, which retails online for $700, to a few NFL executives. Schultz said a family friend created the machine and the company was trying to grow. He was helping get the word out. Plus, it made great coffee. 'I sent it to a few people,' he said. 'I was like, 'No obligation, but let me know what you think.'' Many traditional reporters couldn't or wouldn't send such a gift. But in insider circles, it perhaps was less outlandish. Schefter spends thousands of dollars on his own gifts to his network of sources. And Jay Glazer, an NFL insider at Fox Sports, has developed relationships with players while training them at his gym. Some reporters see Schultz leveraging family connections and personal wealth to break and report on stories that he sometimes can be sloppy on. During one segment on McAfee's show, the host had to very publicly correct Schultz after he mistakenly claimed the Los Angeles Rams owned the rights to a player. (Schultz said he has treated mistakes as learning experiences.) Others view Schultz not as breaking the rules of insider journalism but exposing the lack of guardrails. Horse-trading with agents. Co-crafting reports. Promised stories. That's how a lot of news gets broken these days. Schultz is, in the view of some NFL reporters, just more transparent in that he's not attempting to do traditional journalism. Multiple team and network executives suggested that other reporters were either threatened or jealous of Schultz. '[All the insiders] are engaging in some degree of quid pro quo to get the info or to get that text message first,' Florio said. 'It might be tweeting something flattering. It might be turning a blind eye to something else.' He added: 'But the audience doesn't give a s---. They just want the information.' Schultz could also be a window into the future of sports reporting. Whatever the next iteration of news breaker is, maybe it's people such as Schultz: deeply connected and only journalism adjacent. 'When you deal with media in sports, they don't give a damn about you,' Green said. 'People want their interview, their service. The person, the human side — that side is very rarely cared for or cared about. ... Jordan really pours himself into the person. ... A lot of his news comes from players. I think that's stellar.' WHERE SCHULTZ WILL CONTINUE THIS WORK is uncertain, but it will not be at Fox. Earlier this year during the NFL draft, Schultz reported team selections before they were officially announced on TV. The NFL reached out to Fox executives, highlighting a policy that prohibits media partners from tipping picks. Around the league's schedule release, Schultz also prematurely broke news about a game scheduled to air on Fox before the agreed-upon time, rankling the network. 'He's no longer on our air,' a Fox spokesman said when asked about Schultz's status. Schultz said his Fox contract was for a year and he planned to leave, anyway. He said he's in negotiations with several media companies but also thinking of creating something independent that better suits his model of reporting. After a chat at his house, Schultz walked to a nearby Starbucks, where he was greeted heartily by a barista. He ordered a coffee and talked about a cameo he has in an upcoming movie, 'Tron: Ares.' He will be the lead on-scene news anchor, a part that comes with more than 30 lines. Later, he turned back to the register. 'I gotta pay!' he said.
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Insider predicts which New York Jets stars receive contract extensions, including Sauce Gardner
The New York Jets are a team in transition led by first-year head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey. With a roster centered around a young core of Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall and Sauce Gardner, only a few may receive contract extensions from the new regime. Asked to weigh in on the situation, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated said he thinks Gardner and Wilson would receive real consideration for extensions right now and both deals could get done. However, a new deal for Hall isn't nearly as likely. Advertisement Related: New York Jets' Allen lazard's stance on playing for Pittsburgh Steelers, Aaron Rodgers 'If I had to guess, Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson would be considered for extensions now—and I do think there's a chance at least Gardner and maybe Wilson still get done. With Breece Hall, I think they'd explore it, but signing a back long-term can be tricky. I think with Johnson coming off an injury, they'll probably play it out, knowing they can tag him if he plays to his potential. Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer on future contract extensions for New York Jets stars Both Wilson and Gardner would likely command deals that would make them among the highest-paid NFL players at their respective positions. Even coming off a down year, Gardner could push for $30 million annually given his track record as a two-time All-Pro selection. Garrett Wilson stats (2024): 101 receptions, 1,104 receiving yards, 7 touchdowns While Wilson hasn't received a Pro Bowl selection since being selected with the 10th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, he's delivered three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons despite poor quarterback play. As with cornerbacks, the going rate for No. 1 receivers is now pushing toward $30 million annually. Related: Jets insider sheds light on likely cost of Sauce Gardner contract extension Sauce Gardner stats (2024): 86.9 QB rating, 541 receiving yards, 15.4 yards per completion allowed on 58 targets in 15 games Advertisement Wilson and Gardner have both showcased the talent and durability to be building blocks for the Jets' future. The same can't be said for Hall. While he is coming off consecutive campaigns with over 1,300 scrimmage yards, long-term durability remains a concern and he ranked 39th in true yards per carry (4.0) last season. Furthermore, Hall seemed to be floated in trade rumors this offseason and the Jets at the very least scouted the rookie running back class. While contract extensions seem likely for Gardner and Wilson, Hall will have to prove himself to receive a long-term deal. Related: New York Jets reportedly could target specific position in free agency Related Headlines
