Abstract
Little is known about the motivations underlying viewer engagement in the rapidly growing live-streaming multimedia phenomenon. This study trialled an eight-factor socio-motivational model, based on Uses and Gratifications Theory, to explain four aspects of live-stream viewer engagement. Cross-sectional data was collected through an international, online self-report survey of Twitch users (N = 2227). Multiple and ordinal linear regression analyses identified six motivations which helped to explain live-stream engagement: social interaction, sense of community, meeting new people, entertainment, information seeking, and a lack of external support in real life. Compared to mass media, viewer motivations to engage in live-stream entertainment appear to have a stronger social and community basis. Furthermore, live-stream viewers who preferred smaller channels (<500 viewers) were more motivated by social engagement than viewers who preferred larger channels. These findings offer insight into the motivations for live-stream engagement, and help to lay a foundation for further research.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 58-67 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Computers in Human Behavior |
Volume | 84 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Jul 2018 |
MoE publication type | A1 Journal article-refereed |
Keywords
- eSports
- Motivation
- Social media
- Streaming
- Twitch
- Uses and gratification