This study investigates the influence of Outcome-Based Education (OBE) on learning efficiency among Broadcasting and Hosting Arts students in higher education, addressing persistent concerns regarding inconsistent pedagogical alignment and limited empirical evidence on motivational and emotional mechanisms affecting students’ academic outcomes. Grounded in Expectation–Confirmation Theory (ECT), the research examines the direct effect of OBE (H1) on learning efficiency, the mediating role of learning motivation (H2), and the moderating influence of emotional regulation (H3). A quantitative, cross-sectional survey was conducted among 320 students enrolled in Broadcasting and Hosting Arts programmes in China, and the data were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (SmartPLS 4). The findings indicate that OBE exerts a significant positive effect on learning efficiency (H1: t = 5.214, p < 0.001). Learning motivation significantly mediates this relationship (H2: t = 4.876, p < 0.001), demonstrating a partial mediation effect, thereby underscoring motivation as a critical mechanism through which OBE enhances student outcomes. Emotional regulation significantly strengthens the OBE–learning efficiency pathway (H3: t = 2.947, p = 0.003), highlighting the importance of students’ affective competencies in maximizing pedagogical benefits. Overall, the study advances theoretical understanding of OBE through the lens of ECT and provides empirical insights into how cognitive expectations, motivational drivers, and emotional processes jointly shape learning efficiency. The findings contribute to higher education practice by offering evidence-based recommendations for curriculum design, motivational pedagogies, and emotional-support interventions tailored to creative and performance-oriented disciplines.