The Migration of Viewers in Gaming Streaming: The Perspective of a Push-Pull-Mooring Model

ABSTRACT

The market size of video game streaming is growing at an unprecedented rate, while streaming platforms and streamers are engaging in fierce competitions to retain viewers. Prior studies focused on understanding viewers’ continuance and engagement. However, researchers paid insufficient attention to understanding switching behaviors. Grounded on the push-pull-mooring framework, this study explores the critical factors determining viewers’ migration decisions. The empirical results suggest that both dissatisfaction with perceived enjoyment and perceived boredom with the incumbent video game are the push factors that drive viewers away. The alternative attractiveness of hedonic benefits is the pull factor that attracts viewers to switch to substitutes, and the tendency to seek variety is the mooring factor that facilitates switching decisions. The findings contribute to the literature of video game streaming and user’s switching behavior, and provides practical implications for video game streaming managers and streamers to design strategies for retaining viewers.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Social Science Fund of China [grant number 19CGL066]; China Postdoctoral Science Foundation [grant number 2016M6028].

Notes on contributors

Xiao-Yu Xu

Xiao-Yu Xu is an Associate Professor in the faculty of Electronic Commerce, School of Economics and Finance, Xi’an Jiaotong University. Her research work mainly focuses on the e-commerce innovation in rural China. Prof. Xu’s research has been published in various reputable journals, including I&M, Internet Research, and ECRA.

Lu-Yao Wang

Lu-Yao Wang received her PhD from Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China. She is currently a Post Doctorate in the School of Management at Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology. Her research focuses on the online information privacy disclosure and privacy protection decision-making.

Kai Zhao

Kai Zhao is an Associate Professor in Economics at Xi’an Jiaotong University. He obtained his PhD from the University of Birmingham. His research interests include digital marketing, regional economic development and creative economies.

Fang-Kai Chang

Fang-Kai Chang is an Associate professor at the Department of Business Administration in the Fang Chia University in Taiwan. His research interests are in the areas of cross-border e-commerce, and IT-enabled service, and has published in various international journals.