Why Everyone Wants a Piece of Kai Cenat’s “Mafiathon”

A large crowd waiting for Twitch livestreamer Kai Cenat in New York City. (Photo courtesy of BruceSchaff via Wikimedia Commons)

Kai Cenat doesn’t host a talk show or run a late-night stage, and yet in 2025, he has become the cultural hub where Hollywood, hip-hop, comedy and even rock bands come together.

Kai Cenat kicked off his subathon event, “Mafiathon 3” with an ambitious goal: to exceed 1 million paid Twitch subscribers and shatter his own record of more than 700,000. On Sept. 28, 2025, he achieved that goal live on stream and stayed faithful to his promise. Upon hitting the milestone, LeBron James cut his dreads on air. 

“Mafiathon” has become Kai Cenat’s version of a subathon, a marathon-style livestream in which audience subscriptions extend the length of the stream. Throughout September, Cenat streamed for more than 656 hours. He was online nearly 22 hours a day on average, with peaks of 440,529 concurrent viewers and an average viewership hovering around 114,679.

“Mafiathon 3” started on Sept. 1. The streamer first started the series in February 2023. 

Throughout the month, viewers have discussed how the subathon isn’t just another viral stunt. It’s the place where celebrities need to be and more importantly, to be seen.

But Cenat has turned streaming into more than just long hours on camera. His work has become a cultural event, drawing in celebrities, performing wild stunts and creating viral moments that keep fans tuning in and subscribing to keep the show going.

In just a few weeks, Cenat’s streaming mansion has hosted Kim Kardashian, Mariah Carey, Ice Cube, John Legend, Snoop Dogg, Selena Gomez, The All-American Rejects, Monaleo, Victoria Justice and Linkin Park. Each guest appearance quickly becomes a trending clip on social media. All came for varying segments: Monaleo came for an On the Radar performance, Mariah Carey hosted a spelling bee and Kim Kardashian gave him a therapy session.

Celebrities no longer wait for “The Tonight Show” or an awards show; instead, they’re knocking on Kai Cenat’s door for near instant fame.

Many of these celebrity appearances double as soft promotions. Kim Kardashian’s appearance trended within minutes, boosting visibility for her new Skims line with Nike in the middle of New York Fashion Week. These clips migrated across social platforms and pulled in millions of additional views for his stream, where they trended globally. 

In many cases, Cenat’s streaming impact rivals what a late-night talk show slot would deliver, especially for Generation Z audiences who rarely tune into broadcast TV.

Cenat’s streams give celebrities access to a generation tuning out traditional platforms.

According to a Deloitte study, in 2024, 47% of Generation Z said their preferred form of video content was social media and live streams. The same survey showed that only 27% of Generation Z preferred TV shows.

There’s a reason why celebrities are embracing Cenat’s orbit: Twitch is where audiences are. In 2025, the platform averaged over 2 million concurrent viewers and had over 240 million monthly active users. In the same way MTV turned music videos into cultural capital for Gen Z, “Mafiathon” is the platform of the moment for the current generation. When The All-American Rejects played “Gives You Hell” on Twitch, it sparked a wave of nostalgia across social feeds. Similarly, when Victoria Justice appeared on “Mafiathon”, it became a full-circle moment for a generation, reminding fans how seamlessly childhood icons can reinvent themselves in the livestream era.

The outcomes suggest a recalibration of where star power is measured. Whereas traditional platforms once dictated what the public thought was trendy, now, a feature from Cenat or a viral “Mafiathon” clip can reset an artist’s cultural relevance overnight.

Hollywood and the music industry are adjusting to a new ecosystem where Twitch streams and TikTok trends matter more than traditional media ratings metrics. “Mafiathon 3” cements Kai Cenat’s position as the most-watched streamer on Twitch and a cultural phenomenon shaping the next era of celebrity visibility. 

As Cenat prepares to launch his second installment of “Streamer University” in 2026, his focus is shifting from breaking records to shaping the streaming industry. In an era when content creation has become a career path, he’s positioning himself as both an example and an educator.