Subathons

A subathon is a type of livestream in which viewer donations add more time to a descending timer that counts down to the end of the stream

Lately I’ve become obsessed with live streaming. I think it remains a one of the last mainstream content format that hasn’t become fully ubiquitous. Yes, plenty of live streamers are A-list creators, our future president was interviewed live on Kick, but live streaming in itself is still not a content format that millions of adult internet users utilize or consume.

I think that is going to change soon though, especially as people become more interested in communal experiences online. Kai Cenat’s current subathon is something I’ve been following very closely.

In just his first couple weeks into the 30 day event, Kai shattered viewership records, generated millions of hours watched and showed what deep emotional connection streamers can build with their audiences. He has generated a non-stop stream of pop culture news, peppering his show with appearances from celebs like Benny Blanco, Chris Brown, and others. Cenat’s subathon success, I think, will be looked at as a pivotal moment for the format and for Cenat as a creator.

Livestreaming became a Thing. Netflix and Amazon are in it now.

Cenat attended Frederick Douglass Academy for his secondary education. He graduated high school in 2019[12] and attended the State University of New York at Morrisville shortly after,[13][14] to study business administration. He dropped out in 2020[15] after struggling to keep up with both schoolwork and content creation.

Somewhere in the back of my head, “live streaming” is still someone talking into a webcam from a back room over a one-meg hard line, or shaky phone-cam from a street. Now it’s telethons but for paying the livestreamer. Who gets celebrities to show up on camera, taking it right out of the “Truman Show”-y zone that livestreaming previously enjoyed.

Seeing livecasting and justin.tv et al become this is kind of bizarre to me.