The Influence of Motives for Social TV Engagement and Social TV Enjoyment During the Arab Cup: The Mediating Effect of Social Presence

Abstract

In light of technological development, Social TV engagement is a common viewing behaviour among youngsters. Therefore, this study examines the motivations underlying Social TV engagement and the relationship between social TV engagement and enjoyment. It also considers social presence as a mediator between the variables. Online questionnaires were distributed to 305 university students using purposive sampling, and SPSS was used to analyse direct and indirect relationships between the variables. The findings revealed that all motives (social interaction, entertainment, convenience, and information-seeking) predicted social TV engagement. Moreover, social TV engagement is directly linked to social presence and enjoyment. Whereas social presence is linked to the enjoyment. Furthermore, social presence is a mediating variable in the effect of social TV engagement on enjoyment. This study contributes to the literature by extending Social Presence Theory, which can provide a theoretical foundation for social TV viewing in developing countries. It offers practical implementations for increasing audience-focused sports events on social TV platforms.