Emotional labor of player knockout streamers: forms, dilemmas, and control—a qualitative study

Streamers are recognized as engaging in emotional labor, yet research into the emotional labor of streamers in the emerging player knockout (PK) livestreaming format is limited. Based on the theory of emotional labor, this study conducted semistructured interviews with Chinese PK streamers ( N = 18, aged 18–34), focusing on distinct forms of emotional labor and the side effects of high-intensity emotional labor. The findings indicated that PK streamers’ emotional labor could be categorized into three types: (1) focused on the PK streaming process, (2) maintaining viewer relationships, and (3) self-emotional regulation. Side effects included low social recognition, emotional exhaustion, and identity confusion. Livestreaming platforms and multichannel network companies may be intensifying these side effects through implicit or explicit control over the labor process. The current findings detail the intricacies of emotional labor in the emerging sphere of PK livestreaming.