Mafiathon is an annual month-long stream organized by popular Twitch streamer Kai Cenat. Mafiathon 3 started on Sept. 1 and it’s more than just a streaming event, but a cultural phenomenon. Why, during the month of September? During this month, Twitch offers a 25-30% discount on subscriptions to all streamers.
Mafiathon is Cenat’s spin-off on a subathon. With each subscription gained adds more time to the timer until it counts down to zero. With his ambitious goal of having one million concurrent subscribers (shattering his own record by 300,000), Cenat plans to set a new benchmark for the platform and motivate viewers by having Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James shave his head on Day 30.
With Mafiathon 3 being the finale of this series, Cenat rented a 60 million dollar mega-mansion for the month. Called the Palazzo di Amore, the house includes 20 bedrooms and 25 bathrooms. Furthermore, it was once the most expensive residential property for sale in the United States.
During these thirty days, Cenat plans to have fun activities and celebrity collaborations every day to increase viewer retention and engagement. Some celebrities include Ray J, Mariah Carey, the Jonas Brothers, Roman Atwood, and Jabbawockeez.
“Mafiathon was a nice collaboration with multiple celebrities and famous streamer, Kai Cenat. It makes me connect with other people that have the same interests.” said sophomore Chase Lay.
Celebrities can also cause drama for Mafiathon, as American media personality, Kim Kardashian threw a table on Cenat’s head while playing the noodle game, a game where you have to guess who hit your head with a pool noodle. Along with this, the Palazzo di Amore was raided by Special Teams and Weapons (SWAT) due to a false report by a viewer, all occurring on the first day. Even while sleeping, viewers can donate subscriptions to sound a train horn, blast a speaker, or make a person play the drums with the help of NPC Miles Morales (cosplay) and Office Drummer. These people will often be on stream when everyone is sleeping to entertain the fans and to thank the people gifting subscriptions. Cenat included his friends Ray, Tota, Rakai, Tylil, and many more, driving even more drama and chaos.
Mafiathon has already surged past 300,000 subscribers in its first week, with projections showing that Cenat can reach his goal by the final day. This would set a new record, surpassing his own Mafiathon 2 from last year. Furthermore, 15% of the revenue is going to build a school in Makoko, Nigeria.
Junior Anthony Gu said, “It’s nice to see that Kai Cenat is not money hungry but wants to give back. Mafiathon has been a stress-reliever for me as it helped me crack a few laughs because of the ludicrous acts from Kai’s friends.”
With Mafiathon 3 finishing its first week, it’s more than just a livestream. It shows how digital entertainment and online communities are changing. With its blend of celebrity appearances, chaos, and charity work, it is redefining a new standard for what livestreaming events can achieve.
