When two are a crowd: parasocial romantic relationships, romantic jealousy and gendered effects in dyadic co-streaming

Purpose This study examines an overlooked phenomenon in livestreaming commerce: compared with solo-streaming (a single streamer), dyadic co-streaming (a streamer with an opposite-sex assistant) may reduce purchase intentions among opposite-sex viewers. It further explores the psychological mechanisms and boundary conditions underlying this effect. Design/methodology/approach Four experimental studies across diverse product categories were conducted with 938 Chinese participants to test the proposed model. Findings For female viewers, dyadic co-streaming (vs. solo-streaming) weakened parasocial romantic relationships (PSRR) with male streamers and heightened romantic jealousy toward female assistants, both leading to lower purchase intentions. For male viewers, dyadic co-streaming strengthened PSRR but also increased romantic jealousy, producing offsetting indirect effects and a nonsignificant total effect. Among females, the negative effect via romantic jealousy was stronger for high appearance-enhancement products, whereas the effect via PSRR was stronger for low appearance-enhancement products. Practical implications Livestreaming marketers should account for gender dynamics and product type when adopting co-streaming formats. For female audiences, pairing male streamers with female assistants may evoke jealousy and weaken parasocial bonds, especially for high appearance-enhancement products; solo- or same-gender streaming may be preferable. For male audiences, co-streaming can enhance engagement but may also trigger jealousy, offsetting its benefits. Originality/value This research advances the understanding of livestreaming commerce by comparing dyadic and solo-streaming formats and revealing gender-specific emotional mechanisms. It integrates PSRR and romantic jealousy into a unified model, showing how interpersonal dynamics and product type jointly shape purchase intentions.