• The Insights Group, a new media and events business focused on the digital entertainment sector, will launch with its first brand now live: The Esports Radar, a modern multimedia platform delivering in-depth coverage of the global esports sector
• TER Events teams up with ESIC and BLAST to collectively launch Global Esports Industry Week, taking place in Austin, Texas, from June 18th to 22nd and featuring TER’s own Esports Leaders event, the ESIC Global Esports Summit, other socials, and culminating in the sold-out BLAST.tv Austin Major
• Playmakers rebrands from TWG as it focuses on connecting leading gaming, esports & sports IPS and talent with brands and opportunities

The GSE Group, a newly established holding company founded by esports and sports industry experts Sam Cooke and Alfie Wright, is thrilled to unveil The Insights Group, a media and events company centered on the digital entertainment industry. GSE is also proud to welcome Playmakers (formerly TWG) to its portfolio, an agency dedicated to managing high-value commercial partnerships for rights holders and influencers across sports, gaming and esports.

Sam and Alfie will serve as directors across both businesses, with Sam leading The Insights Group as CEO and Alfie continuing to oversee the newly rebranded Playmakers. Sam embarks on this venture after successfully exiting Esports Insider. Meanwhile, Alfie brings nearly a decade of experience in gaming and sports, building partnerships with top brands and influencers.

The Insights Group will be backed by investment from Continuum X Group (CXG), a leading esports and gaming venture firm. Founder & CEO of CXG, Jonas Gundersen, most recently the COO of NIP Group, which went public on NASDAQ last year, will join as a Non-Executive Director & Advisor, bringing years of industry expertise to drive strategy and growth. As part of its launch, The Insights Group is introducing The Esports Radar, a multimedia platform that delivers consistent, in-depth business coverage. Regional editions will follow soon, including an Arabic language edition, TER Arabia, in collaboration with Saudi-based entity NESMA Group, who operate Nesma Esports led by co-founder and CEO Elie Honain, a fully-fledged gaming creative and production studio based in Riyadh.

As part of its events offering, The Insights Group is (re)introducing Esports Leaders, a premier gathering of C-suite executives from in and around the esports sector, including decision makers and senior execs from game publishers, teams, tournament operators, brands, agencies and other key stakeholders. Pioneered by Sam Cooke during his tenure at Esports Insider, Esports Leaders facilitates high-level discussions in an exclusive setting. The first edition under The Insights Group and TER Events will take place from June 18th-22nd in Austin, Texas, alongside the annual ESIC Global Esports Summit and the sold-out BLAST.tv Austin Major, collectively forming Global Esports Industry Week.

James Woollard, Director of Market Development at BLAST, said of the news: “BLAST is always looking for opportunities to work with best-in-class partners and to elevate business and networking experiences around the biggest esports events. Having the Global Esports Industry Week co-located with the sold-out BLAST.tv 2025 Major in Austin is an opportunity to bring together esports orgs, players, teams, brands, businesses and city partners who are all integral to the market growth of this vibrant industry and to share ideas. Working with The Insights Group, The Esports Radar and Playmakers – experts in the esports business space – as well as Visit Austin, will give us the opportunity to connect people and pioneers in the gaming and esports space.”

Playmakers, formerly known as TWG, marks its first anniversary with a renewed focus on securing and managing commercial partnerships for brands, rights holders and influencers. Specialising in strategic consultancy, deal brokerage, and talent management, Playmakers is dedicated to driving impactful collaborations. With Alfie Wright’s industry expertise and extensive network, Playmakers’ goal is to bridge the gap between esports, gaming, and traditional sports.

“Launching GSE Group and The Insights Group is not just another step in my career, it’s a culmination of over a decade in the industry and desire to launch a bold new venture across not just esports but digital entertainment more broadly. Together with Alfie and with key partners and individuals such as Jonas, Elie and others, we are ready to deliver something fresh for the space. With initiatives like The Esports Radar and Esports Leaders to begin, we’re setting the stage for long-lasting meaningful discussions and collaborations, and we’ve a lot more in the pipeline outside of just esports too,” commented Sam Cooke, CEO, The Insights Group, and a Director at GSE.

“Playmakers is at the intersection of gaming, esports, and sports, and our renewed focus is all about forging lasting commercial partnerships that bring value. We understand the importance of bridging these industries, and our team is ready to deliver. It’s also an honor to work alongside a veteran like Sam in creating an ecosystem which aims to make a true impact on the industry,” added Alfie Wright, CEO, Playmakers, and a Director at GSE.

Snooker fans at this year’s World Championship will get the chance to pocket £25,000 if they witness a 147 maximum break – thanks to bookies Midnite.

Midnite are the official betting and casino partner of this year’s tournament. To celebrate, they are pledging to give away the cash prize to a random member of the Crucible crowd whenever a maximum goes in.

The Midnite Maximum will see a seat number randomly selected at the start of every session and – if a player completes a 147 break – the lucky fan in the audience will collect £25,000.

A 147 maximum is the holy grail of snooker achievements and there have been 14 in crucible history – including two during the tournament in 2023.

Jackson Page made snooker history this week, becoming the first player to complete two maximum breaks in a single pro match on his way to victory over Allan Taylor in the World Championship qualifiers.

Midnite’s sportsbook was launched in 2018 by Nick Wright and Daniel Qu, who previously created daily fantasy sports platform Dribble in partnership with Sky Bet. Midnite added horse racing and casino to the product mix in 2023 and Midnite’s team has grown from 60 to 110 over the past 12 months.

Co-founder Wright said: “At Midnite, we’re passionate about bringing fans closer to the games they love.

“The Crucible theatre is one of the most intimate venues in world sport and it is never more electric than when a player is closing in on a maximum break.

“With Midnite Maximum, our aim is to bring fans even closer to the emotion and tension that the players experience when achieving snooker perfection.” 

Earlier this month, Midnite was announced as the official UK betting and casino partner of the 2025 World Snooker Championship.

To take part in the Midnite Maximum giveaway, fans need to be aged 18 and older and opt-in before the start of play at every session at the Crucible.