Marathon streams have become one of Twitch’s most powerful storytelling formats, but few creators have turned them into cultural events quite like Kai Cenat. What began as an experiment with Mafiathon 1 in 2023 has snowballed into a trilogy that redefines what’s possible for live streaming. We’ve previously covered Mafiathon 1 and Mafiathon 2, but in this article we’re looking at the phenomenal success of the recently completed Mafiathon 3.
Mafiathon 3 was more than a streamer grinding content for weeks: It was a fully orchestrated month-long spectacle that blurred the lines between gaming, music, celebrity appearances, and brand activations. From near-record viewership to the historic 1M subscriber milestone, Mafiathon 3 became a proving ground for how far streaming can stretch into mainstream culture. In this article, we want to show how celebrities and brands partnered with Kai Cenat in a show of joint cultural relevance, extending their reach.
Note: Special image credit to @datzn_ for the fan-made Mafiathon 3 poster art – Thanks!
TL;DR Takeaways by Stream Hatchet:
- Kai Cenat broke his 1M sub goal two days before the end of Mafiathon 3, going on to pull in 7.3M hours watched in one day
- A range of celebrities made appearances on stream, with Ray J, Snoop Dogg, and Lebron James getting the most attention from chatters
- Kai Cenat’s favourite brands gained massive exposure, including independent music platform On the Radar with 8.2K chat mentions
A Brief Recap of Mafiathon 1 and Mafiathon 2
Mafiathon grew over two past editions into a record-shattering juggernaut. The first edition, held in early 2023, set a strong foundation with 46M hours watched, a peak of 234K concurrent viewers, and nearly 1M new followers. That alone would have cemented Kai Cenat as a rising force on Twitch, but the sequel proved just how much momentum marathon content could generate. Mafiathon 2 nearly doubled this viewership, pulling in 83M hours watched and reaching a staggering 623K peak viewers. It also marked a turning point in audience conversion: Kai Cenat gained 1.8M new followers and an incredible 661K Twitch subs. But as we know, Kai Cenat wasn’t yet satisfied: He made it known that he planned to reach the 1M subs milestone with Mafiathon 3.
Mafiathon 3’s Standout Performance: Breaking 1M Subs
And, as we all know now, he managed to achieve it. Mafiathon 3 cemented itself as one of the biggest live streaming events ever, with Kai Cenat pushing into uncharted territory at over 1M subs gained. Across September 2025, the marathon delivered 84.2M hours watched – only a slight increase from Mafiathon 2, but enough to show sustained mass appeal. The real breakthrough came in peak viewership: Kai Cenat improved to a peak of 962K concurrent viewers, up 54% from the last edition and putting him on the doorstep of the elusive 1M peak viewers mark. With an average of 121K viewers across the month, Mafiathon 3 proved that marathon streaming can achieve both scale and consistency at the highest level.
Looking at a daily breakdown of Mafiathon 3 reveals some of the spikes in interest from viewers revolving around tent-pole moments. The marathon opened hot with multi-million daily hours watched, then settled into a steady rhythm before a late-month surge. Three beats clearly lifted subs: An early spike tied to Mariah Carey’s appearance and album cover reveal, a mid-run jump when Kai shared updates on his $5M Nigeria school pledge, and fevered support as he crossed 1M subs which drove the highest new subs per day at 178K. Viewership followed this crescendo: After climbing through the final week, the event closed with a massive 7.3M hours watched on Day 30.
Kai Cenat had plenty going on to keep viewers entertained. One standout stunt saw Kai go skydiving, turning an off-platform thrill into must-watch streaming content. Inside the house, he kept things lively with elaborate set pieces and interactive challenges, ensuring that viewers always had something new to latch onto. Alongside these, some high-profile cultural moments added extra lift: Linkin Park performed a five-song set live on the stream, ending with a dramatic smashed light box that lit up Twitch clips. By blending unpredictable physical stunts with cultural crossovers, Kai Cenat kept Mafiathon 3 from ever feeling repetitive, showing how variety is key to sustaining hype during a marathon event.
Celebrity Appearances Turn Mafiathon 3 Into a Cultural Event
Other than stunts and spectacle, Kai Cenat had one more trick up his sleeve to pull in viewers: Celebrity cameos. These were high profile appearances that spanned industries from music to film to fashion. Ray J’s name dominated chat with 29.5K unique chatters calling out his name, most of them after he attempted to enter Kai’s shower mid-broadcast. Snoop Dogg (16.9K) and Wiz Khalifa (4.7K) both appeared together, where they hotboxed on stream.
Some of the most talked-about moments came at the start and end of Mafiathon 3. Kim Kardashian’s 6.7K mentions came from a prank moment where she threw a glass table (a prop, don’t worry) during a noodle-game segment while on the stream, sparking viral clips and chat frenzy. LeBron James generated 14K mentions by delivering the dramatic finale: After Kai crossed 1M subs, LeBron cut his hair live on camera, making the moment a spectacle that crossed into mainstream media. What’s crucial to the success of these appearances is that they weren’t just name-dropping: Each one played upon the celeb’s reputation and got them actively involved in Kai Cenat’s antics. This is, of course, the key to success with celebrity sponsorships in general.
Brands Partner with Kai Cenat to Reach Massive Live-Streaming Audiences
Celebrities weren’t the only ones benefiting from the platform Kai Cenat has created: Brands also carved out their share of the spotlight, with some activations turning into running storylines across the month. Fortnite led overall with 11.4K chat mentions, but independent music platform On the Radar (8.2K) stood out for how well it was woven into the structure of the stream. On The Radar was integrated as a live freestyle radio stage within Mafiathon 3: Rappers both established and underground cycled in to drop original bars and freestyles directly from the mansion, turning the stream into a rotating hip-hop showcase. The entire event became “Mafia Freestyles,” complete with a digital radio station tie-in, giving On the Radar its own identity inside the marathon.
Meanwhile, toy brand Beyblade activated via an official Hasbro-backed Beyblade X tournament held live on stream. Kai Cenat is a known fan of Beyblades, so no doubt getting to hold an official tournament in front of hundreds of thousands of viewers made one of his childhood dreams come true. Brackets were played inside the mansion, and on-air commentary fueled the chat with hype. One commenter even called out how crazy this collaboration was: “BEYBLADE SPONSOR THIS IS WILD LMAOOO”.
These two brands had contrasting approaches: On The Radar was a long-running content engine, while Beyblade functioned as a splashy, shareable event. Together, they show how brands can both anchor a marathon’s identity and punctuate it with peak moments. They were also both fantastic examples of how brands can authentically and creatively partner with creators, finding a synergy with their interests. You can read more about the future of brands partnering with creators here.
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Mafiathon 3 showed what happens when live streaming scales into something bigger than gaming: it becomes a cultural stage. Kai Cenat not only entertained hundreds of thousands of viewers for 30 days straight: He built a framework where celebrities, brands, and viewers could all participate in shaping the story. The result was a record-breaking subathon that delivered both numbers and narrative, proving that marathon streams can hold mainstream attention when infused with variety and spectacle. For publishers, marketers, and creators alike, the takeaway is clear: The future of streaming belongs to those who treat it not just as content, but as an event.
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