Michael Kosta
About Michael Kosta
Michael Kosta, born September 27, 1979, is an American stand-up comedian and former professional tennis player. He is an Emmy award-winning rotating host and senior correspondent of The Daily Show, where he was hired as a correspondent in 2017 and was the most-watched guest host in 2023. He has also hosted The Comment Section for the E! Network with producer Joel McHale and co-hosted Fox Sports 1's Crowd Goes Wild. His one-hour stand-up special for Comedy Central debuted in 2020.
Kosta was born and raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and went to Huron High School before attending the University of Illinois, where he played on four Big Ten Championship tennis teams. After earning a bachelor's degree in Speech Communications in 2002, he played tennis on the ITF and ATP tour for two years and was once ranked #864 in the world before being hired as the Assistant Men's Tennis Coach for the University of Michigan. While coaching, he began to explore stand-up comedy, and in 2005 he began a full-time job as a stand-up comic based in Los Angeles.
Kosta has had major appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Conan, Chelsea Lately, and Late Night with Seth Meyers, as well as a half-hour Comedy Central Presents special in January 2011. In 2015, he released his first comedy album, Comedy For Attractive People, on Comedy Dynamics Records, and in 2022 he released his one-hour Comedy Central special Michael Kosta: Detroit. NY. LA. He has been a rotating co-host of The Daily Show since 2024. He hosts his own podcast, Tennis Anyone, and in 2025 released a memoir, Lucky Loser: Adventures in Tennis and Comedy, published by Harper Influence. He is married with two children.
Videos (492)
Videos 1 to 24 of 492.
1:33Mark Carney great stick handling | Michael Kosta
968.6K views
1:02More and more Americans are organizing and expressing their discontent. All sides welcome.
730.9K views
0:13New hack unlocked
81.5K views
38:18Tennis Anyone w/ Michael Kosta | Stephen Colbert & My Love of Late Night
63.6K views
1:29This is your life. Thank you Molly Shannon for being so open & vulnerable. You're a true SuperStar!
43.4K views
6:01Michael Kosta stand up comedy
40.4K views
0:13Say something in Mandarin
34K views
0:52When I Was On Name That Tune
30K views
0:5920/40 Anyone else feel the same way? What are your examples?
28.4K views
0:59They are radicalizing me.
28.2K views
39:25New Material: Making Fun of ICE, Cold Weather & An Almost Dry January | Michael Kosta | FULL SET
26.5K views
42:02New Material: Iran War Makes No Sense, Ranting Against Pickleball, & Jokes About March | FULL SET
22.1K views
0:53The Level of Trump's Presidential Communication
19.4K views
0:16USA quick thoughts
18.8K views
0:29New York City baby.
17.9K views
3:18Michael Kosta annoyed at texters
15.9K views
0:55The Truth About ICE Training | Michael Kosta
15.8K views
0:48Some Kosta thoughts on our current southern border situation…
14K views
0:52Anyone else have this same wife?
13.8K views
0:19Ridiculous I wasn’t invited to this year
13.7K views
0:47Some of these attention-getting posers say they are alpha but are far from it
13K views
35:26Tennis Anyone w/ Michael Kosta | Laughing at Comedians in Saudi Arabia
13K views
1:10My thoughts this AM
13K views
0:28Comedians Doing the Riyadh Comedy Festival
12.6K viewsGuest appearances (109)
Videos on other comedians' channels featuring Michael Kosta.
Guest appearances 97 to 109 of 109.
13:30Michael Kosta on The Daily Show
Neal Brennan
6.4K views
16:20Chris Rock made Michael Kosta less competitive.
Neal Brennan
6.1K views
1:02:45Michael Kosta: From Lucky Loser to Daily Show Star | You Made It Weird
Pete Holmes
6K views
1:17:39Michael Kosta | Breaking Bread with Tom Papa
Tom Papa
5.2K views
18:21The Artie Lange Show - Maggie Gray & Michael Kosta (in-studio) Part 2
Artie Lange
3.4K views
15:54The Artie Lange Show - Maggie Gray & Michael Kosta (in-studio) Part 1
Artie Lange
2.8K views
10:40The Artie Lange Show - Michael Kosta (in-studio)
Artie Lange
1.7K views
15:33The Artie Lange Show - Michael Kosta (in-studio) Part 1
Artie Lange
1.6K views
14:36Michael Kosta Unpacks Tennis Career and Talks Switch to Comedy | Breaking Bread with Tom Papa
Tom Papa
692 views
20:07The Artie Lange Show - Michael Kosta (in-studio) Part 2
Artie Lange
585 views
10:42Michael Kosta on New York VS LA | Breaking Bread with Tom Papa
Tom Papa
582 views
11:20The Artie Lange Show - Michael Kosta (in-studio) Part 1
Artie Lange
571 views
8:00The Artie Lange Show - Michael Kosta (in-studio) Part 2
Artie Lange
390 viewsChannels on this page: Neal Brennan, Pete Holmes, Tom Papa, Artie Lange
Frequently asked questions
What is Michael Kosta best known for?
He is an Emmy award-winning rotating host and senior correspondent of The Daily Show, where he was hired as a correspondent in 2017.
Was Michael Kosta a professional athlete?
Yes, he is a former professional tennis player who played on the ITF and ATP tour and was once ranked #864 in the world.
Where did Michael Kosta play college tennis?
He attended the University of Illinois, where he played on four Big Ten Championship tennis teams, and earned a bachelor's degree in Speech Communications in 2002.
What memoir did Michael Kosta write?
In 2025, he released a memoir titled Lucky Loser: Adventures in Tennis and Comedy, published by Harper Influence.
What are Michael Kosta's Comedy Central specials?
He had a half-hour Comedy Central Presents special in January 2011 and released his one-hour special Michael Kosta: Detroit. NY. LA. in 2022.
Comedians similar to Michael Kosta
Same comedic style, across countries
