Netflix saw solid third quarter growth, as it develops new lines of business, particularly gaming.

The company brought in $7.48 billion in revenue, a 1.3% bump from last quarter. Its net income jumped 83.4% year-over-year to $1.45 billion.

The streaming giant maintained its global subscriber lead, adding 4.4 million users to reach a total of 213.6 million. The company said that it held a 6% share of total watching time in the U.S. in September, tied with YouTube for tops among streamers.

Netflix has been upfront about its ambitions to break into gaming.

• In July, the company hired former EA and Facebook executive Mike Verdu, who worked on “The Sims” and “Plants vs. Zombies” franchises.
• The company reiterated on Tuesday that “games on Netflix will be included in members’ subscriptions and will not have advertisements or in-app purchases so gameplay is purely focused on enjoyment versus monetization.”

Netflix noted in its shareholder letter that it was holding cash “to reinvest in our core business and to fund new growth opportunities like gaming, followed by selective acquisitions.”

The streamer acquired “OXENFREE” developer Night School Studio in the third quarter, and has begun testing game offerings in certain countries.

Fox Sports is close to finalizing a deal to take over broadcasting rights for the UEFA European Championship from ESPN, which has held the rights since 2008, according to Sports Business Journal.

The report notes that a deal for the U.S. rights, which would likely run until 2028, is expected to be announced within the next two weeks — terms are still being negotiated.

A deal would include rights to the Euro 2024 and 2028 championships, along with the UEFA Nations League and European qualifiers. ESPN paid $115 million for Euro 2020 alone, and UEFA is seeking $300 million total for the next two events.

The Euros would add to a long list of soccer broadcasts for Fox.

• Fox owns U.S. broadcasting rights to the World Cup after paying $425 million for the 2018 and 2022 events.
• In 2015, that deal was extended to also include the 2026 World Cup and the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023.
• Earlier this year, Fox began its six-year deal with Conmebol, including three Women’s Copa Americas and the men’s Copa America in 2024.

CBS, NBC, and ESPN have reportedly all held discussions for the Euro rights.

American money continues to pour into European soccer, as Chicago-based investment firm Peak6 has taken a stake in the Premier League’s Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Peak6 bought an undisclosed minority stake in Fosun Sports, a newly created holding company that operates the team and its associated brands. Fosun Sports is a subsidiary of Fosun International, a Chinese company that bought the Wolves in 2016 for $62.1 million.

Peak6 will look to ​​”accelerate the club’s growth in North America by providing capital, expertise, visibility, and activation opportunities for Wolves and Wolves Esports across the USA,” the team said Tuesday.

U.S. investors have grown more interested in European soccer clubs, sometimes replacing Chinese investors.

• In May, Los Angeles-based Oaktree Capital bought a 31% stake in Inter Milan from Hong Kong-based LionRock Capital in a $336 million deal.
• Ares Management Corporation took on a 34% stake in La Liga’s Atletico in June.
• Earlier this year, New York-based investor Robert Platek and Miami’s 777 Partners bought Italian clubs Spezia and Genoa, respectively, becoming the sixth and seventh American Serie A owners.

Peak6 also owns esports organization Evil Geniuses and formerly held stakes in Serie A team AS Roma, EFL Championship club AFC Bournemouth, and the NHL’s Minnesota Wild.

The National Rugby League is reportedly close to securing a five-year media rights extension with Australia-based broadcaster Nine in a deal worth $445 million.

Nine and NRL have been discussing an extension for several months, and a deal is expected to close in the next two weeks.

If the two parties reach an agreement, the extension would be the league’s most lucrative free-to-air network agreement on a per-year basis since launching in 1998.

The NRL will use some of the funds to bankroll its expansion franchise, the Redcliffe Dolphins, which joins the league in 2023.

• NRL’s current deal with Nine — expiring next year — is worth $85.2 million per year.
• The two entities agreed to a reduced fee until the end of 2022 due to the pandemic.

The prospective extension has been met with criticism and competition.

In August, Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’landys raised concerns regarding what he called Nine’s lack of promotion of NRL content.

Free-to-air network rival Channel Seven is also competing with Nine for rights to the rugby league.