Second-Screening Among Older TV Viewers Has Nearly Doubled

Second-screening has become a habit across age groups. According to new data from Omdia, over half of US adults ages 45–54 watched video on their phones while the TV was on in November 2025, up 13 points from three years prior. Adults ages 55–64 saw an even steeper jump, nearly doubling their second-screen behavior from 20% to 35%. Meanwhile, among 18–24-year-olds, second-screening behavior has held steady.

And this fragmented attention doesn’t mean a lost opportunity for advertisers. Second-screening creates a live bridge between TV awareness and mobile conversion — exactly the kind of cross-channel dynamic that makes Connected TV such a powerful performance marketing tool. When TV ads are synced with mobile retargeting, what looks like a distraction is actually part of a coordinated omnichannel marketing strategy. As 81.9% of the US population is projected to be second-screen users by 2027, brands that build for both screens will be the ones turning split attention into full-funnel results.

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