Twitch Rejects Kai Cenat Over Controversial Popularity Issues

Kai Cenat has made headlines recently after sharing that Twitch and Amazon denied him the opportunity to co-stream a major music event due to his impressive viewer count. Yes, you read that right. His popularity is the very reason he’s unable to collaborate.

Emerging as a leading figure among the new wave of Twitch streamers, Cenat has solidified his place in the industry. He has achieved the milestone of being Twitch’s most-subscribed streamer on two significant occasions, with his latest peak reaching a staggering 728,535 subscribers during his Mafiathon 2 event. Although his subscription count has since decreased, he still boasts over 400,000 subscribers as of mid-December.

On average, Kai attracts around 162,000 viewers to his streams, bringing a diverse mix of other streamers, musicians, and celebrities together. However, this heightened level of engagement has led to unexpected hurdles in securing major streaming deals.

The Dilemma: High Viewership Limits Co-Streaming Opportunities

During a birthday stream on December 15, Cenat revealed his disappointment when he inquired about co-streaming the Rolling Loud music festival with Twitch and Amazon Music. Given his strong connection to the music scene, one would assume this collaboration would be a win-win situation.

However, Kai was met with a surprising response. He quoted Twitch in his stream, stating, “I asked Twitch, I said, ‘Hey, can I react to Rolling Loud or anybody’s music or performances?’ They replied I can’t. I said, ‘Why?’ They said, ‘Because you have a lot of viewers.’” This left him baffled: others could react freely, but he could not due to his high viewership.

“I would think it’s good for the festival,” he elaborated. “All the festivals are not allowing me to react to this because I pull in more viewers, and it messes up their metrics. But isn’t that more exposure?” Cenat emphasized the irony of the situation, where his success leads to restrictions that don’t seem to benefit the overall event.

Cenat also mentioned the potential consequences of disregarding their policy—he would face immediate sanctioning from both Twitch and Amazon should he attempt to co-stream against their wishes.

Despite this setback, it’s worth noting that Twitch recognized Kai’s remarkable achievements in their recent year-end summary, naming him the “standout streamer” of 2024.

For more insights into this fascinating scenario, check out the stream here (timestamp: 1:08:30) to see his reaction firsthand.

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