Antecedents and Consequences of Gift-Receiving in Livestreaming: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

As a novel and booming medium, the livestreaming industry has attracted millions of broadcasters and viewers worldwide. Gifts from viewers have become the main revenue source for most broadcasters and livestreaming platforms. This study employs data from a major showroom livestreaming platform in China to examine this practice of “gifting” during a livestreaming event. The authors first explore the antecedents of gift-receiving, which mainly focus on the effect of social interaction. The results show that the more social interactions in a live session, the more likely the broadcaster receives more gifts, and the effect is enhanced when a more experienced broadcaster is participating. Furthermore, the authors examine the consequences of gift-receiving and social interaction on broadcasters’ short-term activation and long-term retention. They find that both gift-receiving and social interaction can positively affect broadcasters’ live content provision in the short and long run, and the effects change with the increase of broadcasters’ experiences. This study offers insight into gifting in livestreaming, which gives scope for relevant future explorations.