Industry

The TV may remain the biggest screen in the room, but new research from Omdia suggests it is no longer the only screen competing for viewers’ attention. Presented by María Rúa Aguete, Global Head of Media & Entertainment at Omdia, at IBC 2026, the latest consumer research shows that around three in four US TV viewers regularly use their smartphones for other media while watching television. The trend is also extending beyond younger audiences. Among US adults aged 55–64, the proportion using other media on their phones while watching TV has increased from 42% in 2023 to 56% in 2026. For viewers aged 45–54, it has risen from 62% to 73%.

According to Omdia, the figures point to a changing competitive landscape for television. Viewers are no longer choosing simply between channels, programmes or streaming services; the smartphone in their hands is increasingly competing for their attention, particularly through short-form video. “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 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 significant in this environment. Audiences have become accustomed to personalised, instantly accessible video on their smartphones, creating a different competitive landscape for traditional television and streaming platforms. For broadcasters, streaming services, advertisers and content owners, Omdia sees both a challenge and an opportunity in this shift. Rather than treating TV and mobile as separate viewing environments, the industry will increasingly need to consider how audiences move between the two screens and how their attention can be captured across both. “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,” Rúa Aguete added.

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.