Viewers\u27 Consumption Intentions in the Live Game Streaming Context

Live-streaming in the game industry have grown fast and is becoming popular as a form of online entertainment. However, a key issue has yet received less attention: why people around the globe spend their time on watching other playing games? Why viewers would be willing to subscribe or donate money to a streamer? To fill the research gap, this study examines how emotional attachment and group identification influence viewers’ continuous watching, donation, and subscription intentions based on the theoretical lens of common identity and common bond. Specifically, the crucial roles of para-social interaction with the streamer and co-viewers as antecedents of identity- and bond-based attachment are also investigated. An empirical research with a sample of viewers with live game streaming spectating experience will be conducted. This study has important implications for both researchers and practitioners, especially for streamers in the live game streaming context