Exploring Experiential Patterns Depending on Time Lapses in Virtual Reality Spectatorship (VRS): The Role of Interruption in Reducing Satiation

Virtual reality spectatorship (VRS) is receiving the limelight as a new form of sports media consumption in the sports industry, but prolonged exposure to the virtual reality (VR) environment is likely to reduce the benefits of VR due to satiation or adaptation. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to examine the experiential differences in telepresence, flow experience, and satisfaction between a two-dimensional (2D) screen, VRS without interruptions, and VRS with interruptions. For this purpose, 150 participants were recruited and randomly assigned to one of the three conditions. They watched a 12-min-long soccer game and then answered the measurement items. A total of 149 participants were used for the data analyses, including confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), and repeated measures of analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results revealed that VRS offers more enhanced telepresence, flow experience, and satisfaction than a 2D screen. Furthermore, flow experience was enhanced in VRS with interruptions compared to VRS without interruptions. Lastly, satisfaction was found to increase depending on time lapses in VRS with interruptions. The experiential patterns in VRS depending on interruptions and time lapses imply that inserting interruptions such as commercials could be not only beneficial for viewing experiences but also effective practice for increasing revenue from advertising.