- Desi Banks has added WME for representation in comedy, with Josh Lanham leading the relationship.
- He exits UTA, where agents Isaiah Jones, Garrett Smith and Jackie Knobbe handled his film and TV business.
- Banks is currently headlining the nationwide Your Favorite Cousin Tour, following a sold-out 50-city run that moved nearly 52,000 tickets.
- He's developing a BET Studios sitcom loosely based on his stand-up and has an upcoming role in the action-comedy Boyz Trip.
Desi Banks has signed with William Morris Endeavor (WME) for representation, with agent Josh Lanham leading the deal out of the agency’s comedy department.
The move follows a run with United Talent Agency (UTA), where Isaiah Jones, Garrett Smith and Jackie Knobbe repped him for on-screen opportunities; Banks previously signed with CAA in 2021. His management team, James Swoope and Oronde Garrett, stays in place.
On the road, Banks is currently headlining the Your Favorite Cousin Tour, building on the momentum of his sold-out 50-city Purpose Chaser Tour, which sold nearly 52,000 tickets.
His brand résumé includes a DraftKings Super Bowl commercial produced by Kevin Hart‘s Hartbeat, part of a portfolio of partnerships that has grown alongside his 19 million-plus social following.
Onscreen, Banks is developing a half-hour sitcom with BET Studios loosely based on his stand-up, and he has an upcoming role in the action-comedy Boyz Trip, adding to credits including Little, Haunted Trail and Love by Chance.
The signing lands amid a busy year for WME’s comedy and creator push. The agency signed SNL cast member Sarah Sherman this summer as she expands into film and television, and it added YouTube filmmaker Evan Royalty to grow his SCP horror-short universe into franchise IP.
Banks’s addition fits a pattern of the agency betting on talent with built-in digital audiences and multiple revenue streams beyond a single medium.
Takeaways
This isn’t just an agency swap; it’s WME positioning itself around Banks right as he’s stacking wins across touring, streaming, and scripted TV simultaneously.
Landing a comedian mid-tour, mid-sitcom-development, and fresh off a Super Bowl commercial suggests WME sees him as a multi-platform bet, not just a stand-up client.
Does the WME move accelerate the BET Studios sitcom toward a greenlight, or open doors to other studios entirely? With Your Favorite Cousin Tour still rolling, could WME push Banks toward arena-level venues next?
