Almost three in four US TV viewers now regularly use their smartphones to consume media while watching television. New data showing the latest increase in dual-device usage points to the new battlefield revolving around attention and not content.
What You Need to Know
- Nearly 75% of US TV viewers regularly use their smartphones to consume media while watching television.
- The latest data confirms simultaneous usage has increased across all age demographics.
- The continual increase in dual-device usage suggests the challenge has shifted from device type to user attention.
With the variety and quality of mobile-first content continually increasing, there has been the suggestion that content-makers, services, and advertisers, need to decide between prioritizing a traditional TV or a mobile-first experience.
However, according to the latest Omdia consumer research, the battlefront is not actually about which devices should be prioritized, as both devices are increasingly being used simultaneously to pass time.
According to the new research, nearly three in four US TV viewers are regularly using both devices to consume media at the same time. Although the percentage varies greatly across age groups, the common trend is that simultaneous media usage is increasing across all age demographics.
- Ages 35–44: Increased from 69% (2023) to 76% (2026)
- Ages 45–54: Increased from 62% (2023) to 73% (2026)
- Ages 55–64: Increased from 42% (2023) to 56% (2026)
Maintaining Viewer Attention Is the New Problem
With consumers increasingly using both devices at the same time, the battle appears to have moved on from whether to focus on TV or mobile, to focusing on both, and in particular, grabbing user attention on both device types.
“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?”
This observation is one that seems to marry neatly with developments seen in the industry over the past year, with multiple major streaming platforms now looking to offer vertical videos that are specifically designed with mobile in mind.
As this mobile-first content is targeting mobile users, it not only acts as an alternative viewing option for consumers who prefer watching on mobile devices, but also as a complementary access point while consuming content on a television.
In the case of Disney+, for example, while streaming the latest series, viewers can also browse short-form vertical video clips from the Disney+ catalog through the service’s Verts on Disney+ experience.
“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.”
Where content-makers, services, and advertisers now face an uphill battle is when a viewer consumes content from one service on a TV while simultaneously consuming short-form content from a competing service on their mobile device.
Unlike the Disney+ example, where consumers are consuming complementary content on both devices, this cross-device-and-service usage is where the battle for attention now appears to be firmly in effect.
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