The Impact of Mukbang Live Streaming Commerce on Consumers’ Overconsumption Behavior

Food live streaming shopping, which features a host eating and promoting the products to viewers, has become a new form of food marketing. In three studies, the authors examine the impact of content, influencer, and channel factors of mukbang live streaming on consumers’ perceived value and subsequent impulse purchase and food consumption behavior. Study 1, an experiment with 216 participants, reveals that a non–autonomous sensory meridian response (non-ASMR) video in which the mukbanger talks to viewers while eating regular (i.e., nonjunk) food is more influential in enhancing the video's perceived value and increasing impulse purchase and consumption. Study 2, with 624 participants, introduces influencer factors into the experiment. It shows that a credible and parasocial influencer significantly affects consumers’ perceived value, regardless of the food featured, resulting in impulse purchase and consumption. Study 3, which excludes the content factors fully mediated by influencer factors, examines the impact of the live streaming influencer and the shopping platform on perceived value and food well-being. A cross-sectional survey of 630 respondents finds that channel factors (food product offerings and convenience) and influencer factors (credibility and parasocial relationship) significantly enhance consumers’ perceived value, leading to impulse purchase and overconsumption. The authors provide theoretical and practical implications to enrich future research and responsible business practices in online food marketing.