본 연구는 몰아보기의 다차원성을 콘텐츠 내용과 형식, 시청 방법을 중심으로 살펴보고 몰아보기 이용자집단을 유형화했다. 아울러 유형화된 이용자 집단에 따른 몰아보기 동기의 차이를 분석했다. 분석을 위해 파일럿 연구로 초점집단인터뷰를 수행하여 측정 문항을 구체화하고 온라인 설문조사를 통해 자료를 수집했다. 군집분석을 통해 이용자를 유형화한 결과 몰아보기 이용자는 콘텐츠 내용을 기준으로 ‘서사 완결 시청형’과 ‘에피소딕 시청형’의 두 군집으로 나뉘었다. 콘텐츠 형식 관점에서는 ‘롱폼 오리지널 집중형’, ‘숏폼 재가공 추가형’과 ‘골고루 시청형’의 세 군집으로 분류됐다. 시청 방법의 측면에서는 ‘계획 집중형’, ‘비계획 집중형’, ‘비계획 멀티형’의 세 군집으로 구성됐다. 이들 집단은 7개로 도출된 몰아보기 동기의 차이가 유의미하게 나타났다. 연구 결과를 통해 몰아보기 이용자가 단일 차원으로 구성된 동질적인 집단이 아니라 양적, 질적 속성을 기반으로 다양한 집단으로 구분됨을 확인하고, 이의 학술적, 산업적 함의를 논의했다.
This study focuses on the emergence of binge-watching as a new viewing habit amid the growth of OTT, attracting significant industrial and academic interest. While research on binge-watching has increased in the past five years, there is still no scholarly consensus on its definition and its user demographics. Previous studies frequently defined binge-watching based on viewing time or episode count, but with an increasing number of users incorporating it into their daily lives, there is a need to construct the concept and types of binge-watching from the user"s perspective rather than applying pre-defined definitions. Binge-watching, encompassing various content types and viewing behaviors, requires attempts at nuanced classification. Therefore, this study aims to approach binge-watching from the characteristics perceived by users, moving away from the convention of researchers predefining binge-watching. A pilot study was conducted to explore how users define the detailed attributes of binge-watching. Additionally, a survey was conducted based on three criteria: content type, content format, and viewing style, informed by prior research and the pilot study. Cluster analysis was used to determine whether binge-watching users could be classified into various groups depending on each attribute. Furthermore, the study investigates if viewing intentions differ within defined user categories, with the goal of revealing the multidimensionality of binge-watching in terms of "what, how, and why." The findings indicate that binge-watching users can be classified into two groups based on content type: "Narrative Completionists" and "Episodic Viewers". Three content format clusters emerged: "Long-Form Originals", "Short-Form Additives", and "Balanced Viewers". Three viewing styles were identified: "Planned Intensive", "Unplanned Intensive", and "Unplanned Multitasking". The differences in binge-watching motives were found to be significant among these groups. Regarding demographics, two elements are noteworthy. First, binge-watching patterns differed significantly between the 50-60 and 20-30 age groups. While 50-60 users were more evenly distributed among the Long-Form Originals, Short-Form Additives, and Planned Intensive groups, 20-30 users were more evenly distributed across all groups. Second, there were no significant differences in binge-watching time among user groups based on content format or viewing style. However, in the two groups distinguished by content homogeneity, the Narrative Completionists had a longer binge-watching time than the Episodic Viewers. In conclusion, binge-watching is more about the efficient use of limited time rather than the type or length of individual content. The decision to binge-watch content and the viewing style is likely related to the issue of how efficiently users allocate their limited time. The differences in binge-watching patterns across age groups may be due to variations in the size of leisure time and the structure of daily life depending on age. Considering this, binge-watching should be explored not only as a content consumption behavior but also as a temporal behavior linked to how limited time is utilized.