Experience Matters: Exploring the Impact of User Experience on Stickiness and Loyalty in OTT Platforms

This study examines how different user experience (UX) dimensions (cognitive, affective, sensorial, behavioural) affect user stickiness and loyalty on Over-the-Top (OTT) platforms, which are becoming increasingly important in the entertainment industry. Using survey data from 416 participants and applying Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM), the results indicate that affective, cognitive and sensorial experiences significantly affect both stickiness and loyalty. Notably, the study identifies stickiness as a critical mediator in the relationship between UX dimensions and loyalty, particularly highlighting that behavioural experience influences loyalty indirectly through its effect on stickiness. The study adds to the academic conversation by combining UX, stickiness and loyalty into a single model, offering insights for improving user retention strategies. For practitioners, the findings highlight the importance of creating engaging, intuitive, and sensory-rich experiences to encourage long-term user loyalty.