In this article, we explore how binge-watching culture and technology are changing the ways viewers understand and interact with television. We propose that the motives and rituals of binge-viewers can be used to expand uses and gratifications (U&G) theory. We conducted qualitative, semi-structured interviews to gather thick descriptions of why people binge-watch, how they binge-watch, and how they feel about binge-watching. The findings indicate that (1) viewers’ primary motivations for binge-watching are catching up, relaxation, sense of completion, cultural inclusion, and improved viewing experience; (2) the portability and navigability of streaming video technology influence binge-watching rituals; and (3) viewers are ambivalent about their binge-watching. Based on the findings, we propose that a viewer attentiveness spectrum is a more accurate descriptor of contemporary TV watching than the passive/active dichotomy. We further argue that the changing motives and rituals of TV viewers can be used to bolster the quantitative surveys often employed in U&G research and to address the lingering criticisms of U&G theory.

Extant results on the binge-watching outcomes have been mixed. This study sought to examine the crucial factor of attentiveness that might help to enhance viewer experience and mitigate post-binge regret, as well as differentiate the motivation of narrative transportation from narrative completion. While narrative transportation involves a viewer getting unconsciously swept away by the story, the motivation of narrative completion is a more self-aware, cognizant effort to progress through the story. A survey (N = 800) determined that the degree to which an individual pays attention to a show may either increase or decrease subsequent regret, depending on the motivation for binge-watching.

This study seeks to add nuance to the definition of binge-watching by identifying the subtypes of the general practice that reflect viewer rituals, motives, and outcomes. The two subtypes are (1) the healthy practice of ‘feast-watching’ and (2) the unhealthy practice of ‘cringe-watching’. While binge-watching as a singular behavior has been associated with anxiety, depression, and loneliness, a survey ( N = 800) finds that binge-watching which is solo, accidental, and distracted (cringe-watching) predicts increased regret and decreased well-being. However, binge-watching that is planned, social, and attentive (feast-watching) predicts positive outcomes. These subtypes add much needed organizational clarity to the discussion of binge-watching, which, due to its popularity, has grown into a catchall for extended video consumption.