Toward an interface affordance model for online streaming video platforms

The present study develops and empirically tests the interface affordance model (IAM) for online video streaming platforms to understand the impact of interface capabilities on outcomes such as engagement, personalization, recommendation, and content quality. The study conceptualized ten such capabilities and classified them into interaction and technology affordances. These affordances are tested on 780 respondents using multiple regression. The model explained the role of affordances in engagement with a 62.3% variation. The model also reasonably explained personalization, recommendation, and content quality. The usage slightly moderates the effect; however, the choice of platform does not impact the results. The results provide critical managerial insights into using the affordances to improve engagement. At the same time, it also offers an understanding of media outcomes. Future researchers can explore IAM to test the impact of affordances on other online products, such as gaming, fantasy sports, and social media.