Omdia: Three in Four US TV Viewers Use Smartphones While Watching TV

New Omdia research shows rising second‑screen use is shifting competition for viewer attention from TV-only to combined TV and mobile experiences.

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LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Nearly three in four US TV viewers regularly use their smartphones for other media while watching television, highlighting growing competition for audience attention between TV and mobile video, according to new Omdia consumer research.

Omdia’s research shows that simultaneous media use is becoming increasingly widespread across age groups:

• Among 55–64-year-olds, simultaneous media use has risen from 42% in 2023 to 56% in 2026
• Among 45–54-year-olds, it has increased from 62% to 73% over the same period
• Among 35–44-year-olds, the direction is also upwards, from 69% to 76% during that time

The findings highlight how competition for viewers’ attention is extending beyond TV programs and streaming services to the smartphone screen. Short-form video, in particular, is increasingly competing for viewers’ attention even while the television remains on.

“We don’t have a content problem. We have an attention problem,” said María Rúa Aguete, Global Head of Media & Entertainment at Omdia. “Three in four US TV viewers are using their phones while watching TV, and increasingly what they are doing is watching more video. The battle is no longer simply TV versus mobile. Both screens are on. The question is: which one has your attention?”

Short-form and vertical video are playing an increasingly significant role in this shift. Viewers are becoming accustomed to highly personalized, instantly accessible video experiences on smartphones, adding another source of competition for traditional television and streaming services.

For broadcasters, streaming platforms, advertisers and content owners, this changing behavior reinforces the need to consider TV and mobile as part of the same viewing experience, as audiences increasingly move their attention between the two.

“The future isn’t TV versus mobile. It’s TV and mobile,” added Rúa Aguete. “The companies that understand how audiences move between those screens, and how to capture attention on both, will be best positioned to win.”

The findings are based on Omdia’s latest research into changing video consumption habits, the attention economy and the growth of short-form and vertical video, presented by Rúa Aguete at IBC 2026 in Amsterdam.

ABOUT OMDIA

Omdia, part of TechTarget, Inc. d/b/a Informa TechTarget (Nasdaq: TTGT), is a technology research and advisory group. Our deep knowledge of tech markets, grounded in real conversations with industry leaders and hundreds of thousands of data points, make our market intelligence our clients’ strategic advantage. From R&D to ROI, we identify the greatest opportunities and move the industry forward.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260914417922/en/

Fasiha Khan: fasiha.khan@omdia.com
Eric Thoo: eric.thoo@omdia.com

Source: OMDIA

Key Terms

short-form video technical

Short-form video is a brief, usually under a few minutes, clip designed for quick consumption on social platforms — like a digital elevator pitch or a moving billboard. For investors it matters because these videos can rapidly grow an audience, drive product discovery and sales, and change marketing costs and user engagement metrics; strong short-form performance can boost revenue potential, customer acquisition efficiency, and a company’s visible growth trajectory.

vertical video technical

Video shot or formatted in a tall, portrait orientation (usually a 9:16 aspect ratio) designed to be viewed upright on smartphones and some social platforms. It matters to investors because audience attention, advertising formats, and content distribution differ for vertical videos versus traditional landscape videos; like switching from a desktop-friendly webpage to a mobile app layout, the change can affect user engagement, platform strategy, ad revenue, and production costs.

attention economy technical

A system where human attention is treated as a scarce economic resource that companies compete to capture and keep across media, apps, and services. It matters to investors because how much time and focus a platform or content provider earns drives advertising rates, subscription uptake, user metrics and growth prospects—similar to how foot traffic determines the value of a storefront, more sustained attention often enables higher revenue and valuation.