On the way to understanding binge watching behavior: the over-estimated role of involvement

Abstract

Watching television shows using online television streaming services, such as Netflix, Hulu, and Youku, has mushroomed in the recent years. Along with these services, binge watching, defined as an act of consuming more than one episode of a television show in quick succession, has become a widespread behavior. Yet, it has received very little attention from academics. This study conceptualizes binge watching and examines its effect on satisfaction. We present binge watching as a two-dimensional system usage concept, including behavioral and cognitive involvement components. Using these components, we then study their impact on user satisfaction. We test our explorative approach with a sample of 227 respondents using Partial Least Squares modeling. The results support heterogeneous view of online television streaming service use. That is, involvement with binge watching is over-estimated and does not define user satisfaction. Our study contributes to online consumer behavior research as well as the information systems literature by investigating binge watching as a distinct form of technology use.