Why do we twitch? Vicarious consumption in video-game livestreaming

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to examine vicarious consumption (VC) via the video-game streaming platform Twitch. The authors posit that watching someone play can offer the same enjoyment (measured through emotional experience, mood and joy) as playing. Design/methodology/approach A mixed-methods approach was used. A qualitative phase involving semistructured qualitative interviews, naturalistic inquiry and netnography generated testable hypotheses, which were tested using a two-condition, between-subjects field experiment. Findings This research advances the understanding of vicarious and experiential consumption by finding evidence that VC can produce the same levels of emotional experience, mood, attitude toward the product, joy, brand community loyalty and positive word of mouth. It also demonstrates the moderating effect of familiarity on mood change. Research limitations/implications This research demonstrates evidence that VC can offer outcomes similar to active consumption (AC). The authors advance research on VC in a new context (video-game livestreaming vs esports and other contexts) and from a new perspective (viewing motivations vs consumer-oriented outcomes). This research thus presents opportunities to explore these and other affective, behavior and cognitive outcomes in other contexts. Practical implications To reach Twitch users, marketers must understand how and why media consumers watch. This research provides insight into the community necessary to create effective advertising. Originality/value Building upon Sjöblom and Hamari, focusing on motivations for VC of esports and other related works, the authors expand the context to video-game livestreaming as a whole and examine affective, behavioral and cognitive outcomes compared with AC. Though VC has been researched and conceptualized theoretically, empirical testing is rare. This research offers empirical evidence that VC can offer the same levels of enjoyment as AC.