Kai Cenat becomes first Twitch streamer to hit 1 million active subscribers during “Mafiathon 3”

Twitch streamer Kai Cenat set a new subscription milestone on the platform by surpassing 1,000,000 active subscribers during his ongoing “Mafiathon 3” livestream. He reached the seven-figure mark on September 28, 2025, becoming the first creator in Twitch history to do so. The achievement was marked about 27 days into the event.

Record-breaking stream

Mafiathon 3 is a month-long subathon (a stream extended by new subscriptions) that began September 1, 2025. Cenat had previously set sub records during earlier editions, including Mafiathon 2, which peaked at over 700,000 active subscriptions. During Mafiathon 3, he enlisted guest appearances from celebrities such as LeBron James, Kim Kardashian, Mariah Carey and Ed Sheeran.

In its early days, the event gained momentum through celebrity drop-ins across various segments. Cenat’s sub count crossed 700,000 early in the second week and maintained strong growth until it hit the 1 million mark on the 27th day.

As part of his livestream strategy, Cenat promised a haircut from LeBron James if the goal was met. Upon hitting the milestone, Cenat tweeted, “Goal is officially complete.”

The event also featured comedian Druski and is promoted as a night of entertainment for viewers. Cenat and Hart previously streamed together in May 2024, drawing over 368,000 live viewers as the pair danced to Usher’s “Yeah” and debated lighthearted topics, which marked one of Cenat’s most-watched collaborations.

Reaching 1 million active paid subscribers underscores Cenat’s ability to mobilize his audience at scale. It also affirms that creators using long-form livestream formats like subathons can still push boundaries of what is possible when it comes to monetization and audience engagement. For other streamers, Cenat’s performance may become a benchmark for what top-tier subscription growth looks like. However, sustaining such high subscription levels is a different challenge. Subathons tend to see fluctuating retention as new subscriptions expire or viewers drop off.

Featured image courtesy: Kai Cenat