The Effect of OTT Advertising on Financial Preferences and Spending Decisions of College Students

The exponential growth of Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms has transformed the way digital content is consumed, leading to a significant increase in targeted advertising. This study investigates the impact of OTT advertising on the financial choices of college students, focusing on four key independent variables: content relevance, visual appeal, influencer endorsement, and the type of OTT platform used. In addition, the research explores spending behavior as the primary dependent variable and considers attitude towards advertisements as a mediating factor that may influence the relationship between advertising exposure and financial decisions. Data was collected through a structured questionnaire distributed among college students who regularly engage with OTT content. The study adopts a quantitative research design and employs statistical tools such as regression and mediation analysis to determine the relationships and causal links between the selected variables. Initial findings reveal that content relevance and influencer endorsements have a notable effect on students’ attitudes toward advertisements, which subsequently impact their spending patterns. While visual appeal and platform type also influence ad engagement, their effects are more indirect and shaped by students’ perceptions of the advertisements. This research provides valuable insights for marketers aiming to connect with young consumers and contributes to the broader discourse on digital advertising's role in shaping youth financial behaviour.

© 2026 — Authors retain the copyright of this article. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0) , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.