Examining OTT binge-watching Behaviours, Loneliness, and Enjoyment: Insights into OTT Consumption Patterns Among Generation Z in Maharashtra, India

The present research examines to explore the psychological and emotional antecedents underlying over-the-top (OTT) binge-watching among Generation Z in the state of Maharashtra, India specifically considering enjoyment and loneliness as possible predictors. Situated in UGT, it investigates the process by which hedonic and compensatory needs influence sustained media use.Data was collected from 750 respondents of Generation Z in five urban cities, viz., Mumbai, Pune,Nagpur, Nashik and Aurangabad by using a structured questionnaire. PLS-SEM was used for testing of the hypothesized relationships. The results demonstrate that enjoyment (β = 0.450, p <.001) and loneliness (β = 0.320, p = 0.002) have significant positive effects on experience of binge-watching behaviour. In addition, enjoyment strongly moderates the connection between loneliness and binge-watching (β = 0.250, p = 0.001), meaning that people who have more experience of enjoyment tend to exhibit higher levels in continuous watching while they are lonely. The research highlights binge-watching’s split nature as a pleasure that can also serve as an escape from empty feelings. It offers imperative implications for content creators, marketers and mental health professionals working to comprehend the sophisticated media engagement behaviours of Gen Z. The future research,therefore, may extend it to cover more psychological and contextual constructs to better explain the shifting landscape in digital media consumption. Keywords: OTT Binge-watching, Enjoyment, Loneliness, Media Consumption, Generation Z, Media Consumption Behaviour