The first full season of the BIG Show is coming next week.
At a moment when gaming’s influence stretches far beyond entertainment, GamesBeat is keeping its finger on the industry’s pulse. Today, we’re announcing the Season One of the BIG Show — a video podcast series intended to bring the industry’s most influential voices closer to the people shaping its future.
The BIG Show — which stands for Business, Innovation and Gaming — first launched last year, with a wave of episodes recorded at GamesBeat’s industry events in November and December. The first full season of the podcast will expand on the tone set by these early episodes, inviting CEOs, founders and other industry innovators into a relaxed, after-hours setting, rather than a formal panel or rehearsed keynote. The goal is simple: reveal how the leaders building the future of gaming actually think and feel.
The first episode of Season One of the BIG Show — featuring Savvy Games Group chief executive officer Brian Ward — comes out on March 30, with additional episodes to follow every Monday thereafter.
A lineup fueling billions
Season One of the BIG Show brings together an extraordinary group of leaders whose collective impact on the gaming industry and beyond measures in the tens of billions of dollars.
Among them is Brendan Greene, the creator of “PUBG,” the battle-royale phenomenon that helped define a new era of multiplayer gaming and generated billions in global revenue, influencing countless titles downstream.
The season also features Brian Ward, chief executive officer of Savvy Games Group, the global gaming investment powerhouse backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and responsible for billions of dollars in strategic investment aimed at reshaping the future of the industry.
Joining these names is Peter Levin, a pioneering executive known for helping bridge Hollywood and gaming during his time at Lionsgate, where he championed transmedia storytelling. Today, Levin continues that work as a partner at Griffin Gaming Partners, one of the industry’s largest venture capital firms with billions under management.
Another featured voice in the season is Maya Rogers, the president and CEO of the Tetris Company, who has shepherded the Tetris brand from a legendary video game property into a multichannel media franchise and championed Hawaii’s growing startup ecosystem.
The series also includes Mike DeLaet, president of Ares Commercial Finance, a leader who has helped close billions in strategic deals and most recently played a central role in securing $70 million in funding for Ares, demonstrating the growing importance of financial infrastructure behind the gaming economy.
A bonus episode, sponsored by Xsolla, features Xsolla chief growth and marketing officer Berkley Egenes for a discussion about the role of government regulations in shepherding an equitable and sustainable industry.
Together, these leaders — and other yet-to-be-announced names featured in Season One — represent a cross-section of creators, investors, executives, and visionaries shaping the modern gaming economy.
A different kind of business conversation
Unlike traditional industry programming, the BIG Show adopts a tone closer to a late-night conversation than a conference stage. As GamesBeat CEO Gina Joseph explained when unveiling the show last year, the concept was born from a simple insight: some of the most valuable conversations in business happen after the formal agenda ends.
Every episode concludes with a signature feature: The CEO Cheat Sheet. Rather than ending with abstract discussion, guests distill their conversation into three actionable insights — strategic takeaways leaders can apply immediately, whether they work in gaming, media, finance, or emerging technology.
Season One of The BIG Show also represents a broader evolution for GamesBeat itself. As we expand our focus on executive insight, community and industry leadership, the podcast marks a shift toward more immersive storytelling formats.
Looking ahead
Stay tuned for new episodes every Monday — and for more information about Season Two of the BIG Show, which we’ll start filming at GamesBeat Summit in Los Angeles this May 18-19. Become a GB MAX member now to secure your VIP tickets.
—
Reach out to [email protected] to learn how you can get featured on The BIG Show or GamesBeat Summit, and sponsor.
The BIG Show can be watched on video on TV on YouTube, or on video on mobile on GamesBeat, or on audio on Spotify. Pick your choice. Viewers can sign up for GB MAX here to become a member and get early access to episodes, invitations to private events with CEOs and exclusive content.