Topline
Kai Cenat, one of the biggest stars on the Twitch streaming platform, dethroned fellow streamer Ironmouse to reclaim the title of most subscribers on the platform less than halfway through his planned month-long streaming marathon, in which he has recruited celebrities like Lil Uzi Vert, Snoop Dogg and Serena Williams to appear as guest stars.
Kai Cenat reclaimed the record for most Twitch streamers Monday night. (Photo by Christopher ... [+]
Key Facts
Twitch confirmed to Forbes the pop culture and gaming streamer Cenat broke the all-time subscriber record Monday night by garnering 327,000 paid subscriptions, which Cenat said on social media has grown to more than 340,000.
Subscribers on Twitch pay content creators a monthly fee to receive perks like custom emotes and ad-free viewing, which differs from following a creator for free (Cenat has 14.1 million followers, making him the fifth-most-followed creator on the platform).
Cenat launched his “Mafiathon 2” stream on Nov. 1, a “subathon” in which he streams a live video of himself continuously with the aim of garnering more subscribers to reclaim his record.
Cenat first broke the all-time subscriber record in February 2023 after embarking on a month-long subathon, but he was dethroned in September by the streamer Ironmouse, who streamed live for nearly 40 days and reached a peak of 326,252 subscribers.
Cenat, 22, ranked No. 24 on Forbes’ list of the top-earning creators in 2024, with estimated earnings of $8.5 million, making him the highest-ranking Twitch streamer on the list.
What Is Cenat’s “mafiathon 2” Subathon?
Cenat named his “Mafiathon 2” subathon after his fanbase, which he calls the “Kai Mafia,” and billed it as the sequel to the first “Mafiathon” that helped him break the Twitch subscriber record for the first time last year. Cenat embarked on an elaborate advertising campaign to market “Mafiathon 2,” painting over a building in Los Angeles with the link to his Twitch channel and filming a trailer that starred himself and Kim Kardashian. In the trailer, Kardashian plays Cenat’s therapist and asks him about his future plans, including Mafiathon. “What’s Mafiathon? I stream for 30 days straight, 24 hours every single day. What’s Mafiathon? They watch me eat, sleep, shower, on camera, the whole entire time,” Cenat explains to Kardashian. Cenat began his “Mafiathon 2” stream Nov. 1, and plans to stream until the end of the month. Cenat’s stream was briefly interrupted following the first day after he was “swatted”—in which a caller falsely reports an emergency, sending police to a person’s address—which also happened to him on his first “Mafiathon” stream.
What Celebrity Guests Appeared On Cenat’s “mafiathon 2”?
Cenat wielded celebrity power to break the all-time subscriber record, taking the stream on the road on Nov. 4 to visit Snoop Dogg’s recording studio. The rapper gave Cenat a tour, showing him the studio’s basketball court, arcade and theater, and gifted Cenat a massive blunt of marijuana. Rapper Lil Uzi Vert also visited Cenat’s home and performed on the livestream. Rapper GloRilla joined Cenat and made amends after she had blocked him on social media last year after he had criticized her then-new song, and the two cooked together on his livestream. Other rappers who visited Cenat include Kodak Black, Denzel Curry and Quavo. Several cast members from the Disney Channel series “Good Luck Charlie” visited Cenat, and “iCarly” star Miranda Cosgrove joined Cenat on the first day of his stream. Tennis star Serena Williams joined Cenat for a video chat conversation Monday.
Who Is Kai Cenat?
Cenat began his content creator career in 2018, launching a YouTube channel that now has more than 6 million subscribers, on which he made prank and comedy videos. He largely migrated to Twitch in 2021, achieving fame for his gaming streams and discussions of pop culture. As he became one of the platform’s top creators, he began regularly including celebrities in his livestreams, and he has since collaborated with Drake, Nicki Minaj, 21 Savage, Kevin Hart and John Cena. Cenat courted controversy in 2023 when he promised fans he would give away PlayStation 5 consoles in Union Square Park in New York, attracting thousands to the area in a gathering that quickly spiraled out of control and led to police intervention. Cenat was charged with felony first-degree rioting, inciting a riot and unlawful gathering, though charges were later dropped in exchange for an apology and $57,000 in restitution. Cenat won Streamer of the Year at the 2022 Streamy Awards and has already been nominated for Best Marathon Stream for “Mafiathon 2” at the upcoming Streamer Awards, set to take place in December.
Crucial Quote
Ironmouse congratulated Cenat in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Monday night: “LETS GOOOOO!!!” the streamer posted in reply to Cenat’s tweet celebrating his new record.
What To Watch For
How many subscribers Cenat can accrue during his month-long livestream—and what other celebrity guests he might recruit.
Further Reading
Every Celebrity Guest On Kai Cenat’s “Mafiathon 2” Livestream: Kodak Black, GloRilla And More (Vibe)
Top Creators 2024 (Forbes)
