Second-screen viewing spreads beyond younger audiences

Media multitasking is rapidly expanding beyond younger audiences, with more than half of people aged 45 to 54 now watching video clips on their mobile phones while simultaneously watching television.

According to market intelligence firm Omdia, the long-established second-screen phenomenon is spreading quickly among older age groups and changing how audiences engage with video content.

The data shows that 52 per cent of viewers in the United States aged 45 to 54 reported watching video clips on their phones while watching television in November 2025, compared with 39 per cent in November 2022.

The trend is also accelerating among older audiences.

Among viewers aged 55 to 64, the share of people multitasking with mobile video has increased to 35 per cent, up from 20 per cent three years earlier.

The results highlight a major shift in viewer behaviour and attention patterns, as audiences increasingly divide their focus across multiple screens.

Researchers said this shift indicates that multitasking with mobile devices is no longer limited to younger viewers.

“Media multitasking is no longer something that happens only among under-34s. Today, more than half of viewers aged 45–54, are watching videos on their phones while watching TV. This is a fundamental shift in how audiences consume content,” said Maria Rua Aguete, senior research director at Omdia.

She presented the findings at the Connected TV World Summit 2026 in London.

Younger viewers continue to be the most consistent multitaskers, although their behaviour has stabilised in recent years.

Among people aged 18 to 24, the share of viewers watching video on mobile devices while watching television increased only slightly, rising from 61 per cent in 2022 to 63 per cent in 2025.

Similarly, among viewers aged 25 to 34, the share rose marginally from 60 per cent to 61 per cent over the same period.

By contrast, the most significant growth in multitasking behaviour is occurring among older viewers.

This shift suggests that the second-screen viewing habit is rapidly becoming a mainstream pattern of media consumption.

“The biggest change is not among Gen Z – it’s among viewers aged 45 and over. Multitasking has moved into the mainstream,” Aguete said. 

“Audiences increasingly split their attention across multiple screens, which reflects shorter attention spans and the constant pull of mobile platforms,” she added.

The growing use of multiple devices at the same time is expected to have significant implications for streaming platforms, broadcasters and advertisers.

Media companies are facing a landscape in which viewers no longer devote their full attention to a single screen.

“When it comes to streamers and broadcasters, the challenge is clear attention is now fragmented,” Aguete said. 

She explained that “winning audiences increasingly requires content ecosystems that extend beyond the TV screen and into mobile experiences where viewers are simultaneously consuming video, social media and short-form content”. “

The platforms that succeed will be those that design programming, marketing and engagement strategies with mobile behavior in mind. TV is no longer a single-screen experience,” Aguete concluded.