Research: 3 in 4 Americans use phones while watching TV
September 14, 2026



The TV may still be the biggest screen in the room, but it no longer commands the room. Omdia consumer research unveiled by María Rúa Aguete, Global Head of Media & Entertainment at Omdia, at IBC reveals how smartphones are competing with TVs for attention in living rooms.

Around three in four US TV viewers regularly use other media on their smartphones while watching television, fragmenting attention between the big screen and the mobile screen. And this is no longer predominantly a young audience behaviour.


Omdia’s research shows some of the strongest growth in simultaneous media use is now among older viewers. Among US adults aged 55–64, the proportion using other media while watching TV has risen from 42 per cent in 2023 to 56 per cent in 2026. Among those aged 45–54, it has increased from 62 per cent to 73 per cent.

The findings point to a fundamental change in the competitive landscape for television. TV is no longer simply competing with another programme, streaming service or channel. It is increasingly competing with the smartphone in the viewer’s hand, and particularly with short-form video.

“We don’t have a content problem. We have an attention problem,” said Rúa Aguete, Global Head of Media & Entertainment at Omdia. “Three in four Americans 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 becoming increasingly important in that battle. Audiences have become accustomed to scrolling through highly personalised, instantly accessible video on their phones, creating a very different competitive environment for traditional television and streaming services.

For broadcasters, streaming platforms, advertisers and content owners, Omdia believes this creates both a challenge and an opportunity. The industry must increasingly think about TV and mobile together, rather than treating them as separate viewing environments.

Rúa Aguete added: “The future isn’t TV versus mobile. It’s TV and mobile. 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 were presented at IBC 2026 in Amsterdam as part of Omdia’s latest research into changing video consumption, the attention economy and the rapid growth of short-form and vertical video.