The Role of Sports Commentary: Viewer’s Cognitive and Affective Responses and Moderating Effect of Prior Knowledge

Grounded in the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning and the cognitive–affective–conative model, this study examines how the presence versus absence of sports commentary shapes viewers’ cognitive and affective responses and, ultimately, viewing intention, as well as whether these pathways vary by prior knowledge. An experiment using a one-factor, two-level (commentary present vs. absent) between-subjects design was conducted with 124 undergraduate and graduate students in South Korea. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling with bootstrapped confidence intervals. Results showed that viewers exposed to commentary reported higher subjective attention and processing fluency than those in the no-commentary condition. Serial indirect effects were supported, indicating that commentary strengthened viewing intention via cognitive responses (attention and fluency) and affective responses (enjoyment and excitement). Regarding conditional serial indirect effects, the results suggested an expertise-reversal pattern in which the benefits of commentary were attenuated as prior knowledge increased, primarily through fluency-based pathways rather than attention-based pathways. These findings clarify the psychological mechanisms through which commentary shapes sports viewing experiences and suggest that personalized audio and information formats aligned with viewers’ knowledge levels may enhance engagement.