Twitch streamer Kai Cenat became the highest-subscribed creator on the platform after completing a nonstop 30-day live stream through the entirety of November.
Cenat, who is 22, rose to fame over the past couple of years across social media—specifically on Twitch, a streaming platform owned by Amazon. He is part of the popular social media group AMP, which includes other well-known streamers and creators: Duke Dennis, Agent 00, Chrisnxtdoor, Fanum, and ImDavisss.
On Oct. 29, Cenat released a trailer on TikTok for his second marathon stream, featuring Kim Kardashian in a Sopranos-style outtake. With over 300,000 subscribers at the time, Cenat set goals to gain 100,000 more and to strengthen the community by bringing his friends and fans closer together. On the first day of the subscriber marathon, also known as a subathon, Cenat’s expectations were met almost immediately as he gained 100,000 subscribers within hours. By the end of the 30-day event, Cenat had a total of 728,353 subscribers on Twitch.
Thirty consecutive days is not unfamiliar territory for Cenat; he hosted his original Mafiathon in February 2023, which lasted until March. While that event made an impact and grew his audience, this sequel set new heights for the streaming world. Throughout the 30 days in November, Cenat did more than just play video games. He included cameos from various creators and high-profile celebrities, musical performances, and shared many vulnerable moments. At one point, after so many days of continuous streaming and entertaining, Cenat’s body was giving out on him, and he had to get IVs in his arms. Despite the physical and mental challenges of being live constantly, Cenat’s stream displayed his resilience and his ability to entertain audiences beyond gaming, all while building the community he hoped for.
“I liked how he talked about how he came from nothing,” junior Ahmantae Cheatum said. “He talked about how you can make it in life as long as you work hard, and I think the same way.”
Throughout the stream, Cenat was accompanied with guests like Kevin Hart, Snoop Dogg, Bill Nye the Science Guy, GloRilla, Travis Barker, SZA, and Lizzo. The influx of guests kept viewers entertained and on their toes.
“I didn’t know what it was at first,” junior Kimberly Garcia said. “After I saw all the different celebrities he brought out on my TikTok, I watched it and thought the stuff he was doing was crazy.”
Others were also drawn to Cenat’s high-energy he maintained on his stream.
“It was funnier than I thought it would be,” junior Darrell Maye said. “Even when he was sleeping, he’d have his friends do stuff all night, so it didn’t get boring.”
Even some students who did not tune into the stream were aware of how big it was.
“I didn’t watch the stream,” junior Summer Gentry said. “I heard one of my friends talk about it, and it seemed big, but I just wasn’t interested.”
Kai Cenat’s Mafiathon 2 became more than just a live stream for 30 days. He brought together communities and created unbreakable bonds with his friends. This stream reached audiences beyond his ‘Kai Mafia’ fanbase. Even students who did not watch it were aware of the impact it had on social media. And students who are not sure about their stance on Kai Cenat or his Stream cannot deny that the amount of effort that was put in pushed the limits of traditional live streams. Cenat proved to audiences that you can do anything if you put your mind to it.
