What online game spectators want from their twitch streamers: Flow and well-being perspectives

Over the last five years, live-streaming platforms, such as Twitch and YouTube, have been dramatically developed and used for individuals' broadcast of digital content, including online video games. Consequently, online game live-streamers have played an important role in the business industry (e.g., advertisements) as well as the online video game industry. By focusing on this context, this study identifies streamer attributes and livestreaming mobile application attributes, and examines how each attribute influences spectators' flow experience, psychological well-being, commitment, and loyalty toward their favorite streamer. Based on the cognitive appraisal theory and social media influencer literature, the authors classify streamer attributes (i.e., friendship, interaction, and streamer skills) and live-streaming mobile application attributes (i.e., perceived usefulness, technology & functional quality, convenience, and security quality) in the context of Twitch. The data were collected from Twitch users in the United States via two waves. The empirical findings indicated: (1) friendship, technology & functional quality, convenience, and security quality significantly affected flow experience; (2) friendship, streamer skills, convenience, and security quality significantly influenced psychological well-being; (3) flow experience significantly impacted commitment and loyalty; (4) psychological well-being had a significant effect on commitment; and (5) commitment significantly affected loyalty. The empirical findings of this study provide meaningful implications to scholars and practitioners in the social media and online video game contexts.

Automated summary

This study examines the influence of streamer attributes and livestreaming mobile application attributes on spectators' flow experience, psychological well-being, commitment, and loyalty towards their favorite streamer. The empirical findings provide meaningful implications for scholars and practitioners in the social media and online video game contexts.