This study examines how buyers transition from service encounters to loyalty through cognitive and emotional pathways using the Stimulus–Organism–Response (S–O–R) framework. It identifies System Quality, Content Quality, Service Quality, Price Value, and Video Content Availability as external stimuli that influence internal reactions of Satisfaction and Delight. Unlike prior research that focuses mainly on Satisfaction, this study treats Delight as a distinct emotional response that captures the intensity of positive feelings during consumption. It also incorporates Prior Service Consumption Experience, recognizing that experienced buyers evaluate services differently.

Survey data from 440 participants and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) were analyzed for a subscription-based digital service. Findings reveal a dual-route loyalty system: Satisfaction mainly drives affective loyalty, while Delight more strongly influences cognitive and conative loyalty. Video Content Availability notably enhances both Satisfaction and Delight by making services feel sufficient and facilitating discovery. Cognitive loyalty acts as a key link transforming internal reactions into behavioral loyalty. The influence of Satisfaction and Delight diminishes as prior experience increases.

This research advances the consumer behavior and marketing literature by integrating cognitive and affective responses into a single model, presenting a nuanced loyalty development process, and demonstrating how specific service attributes affect Satisfaction and Delight. The results offer a comprehensive understanding of how buyers move from initial service events to sustained loyalty, providing actionable insights for companies aiming to retain subscribers over time.