The roles of motivation and media engagement in second-screen viewing experiences

Traditional TV viewing has been blended with the use of second-screen mobile devices. Increased engagement via mobile devices or applications has quickly become a new norm - interacting with program-related information (e.g., following fan community or play related games) or chatting on social apps (e.g., Twitter) while watching television (TV). New features and behaviours are emerging that create challenges and opportunities for attracting advertising revenues and viewer attention in the second-screen environment. This study explored the antecedent and consequences of second-screen mobile phone use. Four categories, control, enrichment, sharing, and participation, were identified as second-screen TV viewing behaviours. An empirical model was developed by integrating audiences' motivation, media engagement and second-screen behaviour. A response from 562 TV audience participants were collected and reveals that audience motivation for using a second screen is mainly affected by their engagement experiences, and further led to the corresponding usage behaviours. Mobile users, motivated by common interests and social sharing, are more engaged in online activities while watching TV programs. Second screen users are also obsessed with their social connectivity experiences rather than interactive features of TV programs. Theoretical and practical implications for effective second screen strategies are discussed.