The growth of OTT internet and mobile video streaming services is a major development in consumption of global media sport. The online streaming of sporting events has become the important way of copyrights holders to engage sport fans, especially young fans. The most popular live streaming platforms in South Korea, such as NAVER and Africa TV are intervening in coverage rights markets and changing how live sport is experienced and shared across television, computer, tablet and smartphone screens. At the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, NAVER's live streaming service reached 121,173,945 cumulative viewers in 64 matches, including the opening ceremony and the final between France and Argentina. Based on suspense theory, this study aimed to examine the factors that influence sport fans’ watching intention to stream online sport. The current study collected the number of cumulative viewers of live streaming from NAVER and Africa TV, for the matches broadcasted across the KBS, MBC, and SBS, a total of 64 matches in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. The results suggest that a measure of the unfolding nature of suspense is a stronger predictor of watching intention than those used previously. The additional measures of suspense that take into account the unfolding events of the contest will be stronger predictors of watching intention than either disposition toward the winning team or closeness of final score.

The FIFA world cup is one of the most popular and widely viewed sporting event, where millions of viewers across the globe tune in to support their country every four years for the chance to win the ultimate football tournament. According to FIFA, the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 recorded over 5 billion cumulative views, with the final match estimated to have been watched by more than 1.5 billion viewers live on television. In South Korea, a total of 11.14 million viewers watched the opening match against Uruguay, which was estimated to be a 97% increase in Korean viewership compared to the previous World Cup.