Twitch streamer Kai Cenat breaks subscriber record

Kai Cenat has broken the record for attracting the most Twitch subscribers.

The 21-year-old US streamer amassed 300,000 subscribers on the Amazon-owned streaming service, following a month-long drive to increase subscriptions.

His 'subathon' - launched on 1 February - saw Cenat streaming 24 hours a day: chatting, gaming and interviewing guests, as well as sleeping, on camera.

The popular YouTuber officially overtook former Twitch record holder Ludwig Ahgren on Tuesday.

Twitch is a livestreaming platform, where people typically play video games while chatting to viewers.

Ludwig previously held the record for the most Twitch subscribers, hitting a peak of 283,000 viewers during a non-stop stream in April 2021.

Two years later, Cenat broke Ludwig's record with his own subscription marathon - or 'subathon' - a stream with a countdown timer which is extended every time someone subscribes to the channel.

Twitch offers subscriptions to users as a means of supporting their favourite streamers and creators on the platform.

In the UK, the basic subscription package costs £3.99 - or $4.99 in the US - with additional tiers costing more.

Users can also gift subscriptions, so subscriber numbers can increase, in part, thanks to wealthier fans who pay for monthly subscriptions for other viewers.

Cenat began his streaming marathon at the start of February to mark the beginning of Black History Month in the US.

Over the month he has entertained viewers with guests including comedian Reggie Brown and a Barack Obama impersonator.

On 22 February, he became the first African-American streamer to reach 200,000 Twitch subscribers.

After it was confirmed he had breached the benchmark of 300,000 subscribers on Tuesday, Cenat told viewers his streaming marathon was the hardest thing he has ever done.

"Stop saying 'I did it' - we did it," he said, as the total subscriber count ticked over 300,000. "On the last day of Black History Month, we broke 300,000!

"And I'm so happy I did it with the people around me. I couldn't have chosen anybody else to do this with," he added.

Cenat's ongoing stream may still gain a few additional subscribers, but his subathon will come to an end imminently, after he vowed it would last no longer than 30 days.

It is currently unclear whether he plans to take a short break from the platform before returning to regular Twitch streams.