2023 Impact 50: Mike Berkowitz

PARTNER & CO-HEAD OF COMEDY
WME

Over the last year, Mike Berkowitz has helped several of his clients, including John Mulaney, Bill Burr, Theo Von and others , move up to the arena level. He’s overseeing Tina Fey and Amy Poehler’s first co-headlining tour and he also spearheaded Mike Birbiglia’s Broadway shows.

“My clients challenge me to be a step ahead,” Berkowitz says.

Staying a step ahead has him paying close attention to market forces, measuring the ways in which his acts sell in varying markets and researching how they’re perceived. Berkowitz’s career has included groundbreaking deals such as Amy Schumer becoming the first female comedian to perform and sell out Madison Square Garden and Kevin Hart’s historic “What Now? Tour,” which reported 66 dates to Pollstar throughout its run from April 2015 to August 2016 with 923,728 tickets sold grossing $68.7 million. 

Berkowitz is grateful to work at a company as large as WME, where he can collaborate across various departments and snag talent from “Saturday Night Live” and other comedy-driven talent pools.

“It’s fortunate being at an agency that represents some amazing actors and writers who are also comedians,” Berkowitz says. “Now they are getting the opportunity to perform for the audience they’ve built over the years. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are so exciting. They’ve never toured before and they’re legends. It’s exciting to bring them into the touring world and create those opportunities for them and give their fans the opportunity to see them. The response has been over the moon.” 

Brett Goldstein, who stars as Roy Kent on “Ted Lasso,” has also been finding success on his own standup shows.  

For his mentors, Berkowitz shares he was greatly influenced by comedy manager/producer Dave Becky, who he calls “the most honest, kindest and realest human I’ve met.” Outside the industry, he shares his parents are his most impactful supporters and that admires their joy in life.  Within all his work, his greatest aim is to continue making them proud.