Unlocking Audience Engagement in Sports Livestreaming: How Influencer Attributes Cultivate Emotional Bonds and Drive Participatory Behavior

RuoNan Tu

doi:10.63313/perd.9006

Authors

RuoNan Tu Wenzhou Polytechnic, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63313/perd.9006

Keywords:

Sports livestreaming, Social media influencers, Audience engagement

Abstract

The rapid growth of digital livestream platforms has transformed sports media consumption into an interactive and participatory experience. While prior research has examined influencer marketing and audience engagement in social media, limited attention has been given to how influencer characteristics drive engagement in sports livestreaming contexts and the psychological mechanisms underlying this process. Drawing on parasocial interaction theory, source credibility theory, and social identity perspectives, this study develops and tests a conceptual model linking influencer expertise, authenticity, and attractiveness to audience engagement through emotional attachment. Interaction intensity is further examined as a moderating factor. Data were collected from sports livestream viewers across major platforms, including Twitch, YouTube Live, Douyin, and Bilibili, and analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results indicate that expertise (β = 0.32, p < 0.001), authenticity (β = 0.41, p < 0.001), and attractiveness (β = 0.21, p < 0.001) significantly enhance emotional attachment, with authenticity exerting the strongest effect. Emotional attachment, in turn, strongly predicts audience engagement (β = 0.55, p < 0.001), and this relationship is further strengthened by higher interaction intensity. This study contributes to the literature by extending parasocial interaction theory to interactive sports livestreaming environments, integrating influencer marketing with sports media research, and uncovering the psychological mechanisms that drive participatory engagement.

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