Understanding Live-Streaming Viewers’ Post-Adoption Based on A Relationship Development Perspective

Motivating viewers' relationship development with live-streaming streamers faces challenge. This study fills this gap by proposing a model based on an integrated framework between flow and relationship management. We seek to analyze how post-adoption is facilitated by relationship development with streamers, which in turn is influenced by live-streaming socio-technical features and flow (optimal experience). Specifically, we conceptualize response to optimal experience as two-stage post-adoption, including relationship development and outcomes (emotional connectedness and donation). Empirical results support most hypotheses, showing that group norms and interactivity exert significant influence on flow, which in turn affects outcomes through relationship development. We provide implications for research and practice.