She’s my favorite YouTuber, so I watch ads on her channel: The interplay of parasocial interaction and YouTube ad knowledge on voluntary ad-watching

This research examined a unique ad-consuming behavior on YouTube, voluntary ad-watching, triggered by the levels of parasocial interaction (PSI) that users establish with YouTubers. Study 1 revealed that a strong PSI with a YouTuber was positively associated with users' support intention as well as their voluntary ad-watching intention. Study 2 showed that increased 'support' intention interplayed with users' knowledge about how YouTube ads work (i.e. YouTube ad knowledge) to further shape their ad responses (i.e. ad irritation and ad comprehension). Findings provide insights into how users process YouTube video ads and suggest a new perspective of 'consuming' ads to express their support for YouTubers.