Intentional ad-viewing to support video creators on digital video-sharing platforms

This study explored intentional ad-viewing on digital video-sharing platforms and focused on a novel type of ad-viewing behavior to support video creators. In-depth interviews with 20 YouTube users discovered the unique phenomenon of intentional ad-viewing to support creators, which seemed particularly prominent among younger consumers. A desire to express gratitude to the video creators, as well as intrinsic and extrinsic helping motives based upon empathy and reciprocity appeared to determine intentional ad-viewing largely. Perceptions of different video creators, parasocial relationships with them, and knowledge of the ad-revenue-sharing model were identified as factors that influenced the behavior examined.