NCAA signs lucrative TV deal for championships, but keeps women’s basketball in bundle

The NCAA on Thursday said it had reached an eight-year agreement with ESPN worth $115 million annually to televise 40 college sports championships each year, including the marquee Division I women’s basketball tournament that many people within college sports had hoped would be primed for even bigger returns given a wave of recent popularity. The …

Oil Producers Back Climate Deal Despite Fossil Fuel Language

Oil industry executives on Wednesday said they more or less backed the agreement coming out of the United Nations climate summit in Dubai, despite its language calling for “transitioning away from fossil fuels.” “We support the outcome of COP28,” said a spokesman for Shell, Europe’s largest energy company. Eni, the Italian energy giant, praised the …

Red Lobster’s Popular Endless Shrimp Deal Ate Into Its Profits

Red Lobster’s “irresistible” all-you-can-eat shrimp promotion has indeed proved hard to resist. The Ultimate Endless Shrimp deal has been so popular that it helped cause a drop in third-quarter profit for the restaurant chain, which had to raise the price to $25 from $20. Thai Union Group, which owns a large stake in the chain, …

Tuesday Briefing: A Deal to Extend the Gaza Truce

Qatar says Israel and Hamas will extend the truce Israel and Hamas agreed yesterday to extend their fragile truce for two more days, according to officials in Qatar who helped negotiate the initial cease-fire. The deal could allow for additional aid to flow into Gaza and the release of more hostages, prisoners and detainees than …