Omdia: More Than Half of 45–54 Year Olds Now Watch Mobile Video While Watching TV

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar 11, 2026--

New primary research data from Omdia reveals that media multitasking is no longer just a Gen Z habit. More than half of adults aged 45–54 now watch video clips on their mobile phones while watching television, highlighting a major shift in viewing behavior and the growing fragmentation of attention across screens.

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According to Omdia’s latest consumer research, 52% of US viewers aged 45–54 reported watching video clips on their phones while watching TV in November 2025, up from 39% in November 2022. The trend is also accelerating among even older viewers: 35% of those aged 55–64 now multitask with mobile video, compared with 20% three years ago.

The findings underscore how the second-screen phenomenon - once associated primarily with younger audiences - has rapidly expanded across older demographics.

Speaking at the Connected TV World Summit 2026 in London, Maria Rua Aguete, Senior Research Director at Omdia said: “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.”

Younger viewers remain the most consistent multitaskers, but their behavior has largely stabilized. Among 18–24-year-olds, the share rose only slightly from 61% in 2022 to 63% in 2025, while 25–34-year-olds increased marginally from 60% to 61% over the same period. By contrast, the strongest growth is happening among older audiences who are rapidly adopting second-screen behaviors.

Rua Aguete added: “The biggest change is not among Gen Z - it’s among viewers aged 45 and over. Multitasking has moved into the mainstream. Audiences increasingly split their attention across multiple screens, which reflects shorter attention spans and the constant pull of mobile platforms.”

For streamers, broadcasters, and advertisers, this shift has major implications for content strategy and audience engagement.

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

ABOUT OMDIA

Omdia, part of TechTarget, Inc. d/b/a Informa TechTarget (Nasdaq: TTGT), is a technology research and advisory group. Our deep knowledge of tech markets grounded in real conversations with industry leaders and hundreds of thousands of data points, makes our market intelligence our clients’ strategic advantage. From R&D to ROI, we identify the greatest opportunities and move the industry forward.

Over half of 45-54s watch videos on their phones while watching TV

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Soldiers were deployed on the streets of South Africa’s biggest city on Wednesday after the president announced plans last month to use the army to help police fight gang violence and illegal mining.

The soldiers were seen in the Johannesburg suburb of Riverlea in the first major deployment since President Cyril Ramaphosa said in his annual speech to the nation that organized crime was the greatest threat to South Africa’s democracy and economic development.

South Africa's police and the Department of Defense, which oversees the military, did not immediately provide details on the deployment.

Ramaphosa said in a notice to the Speaker of Parliament that 550 soldiers would be involved in an initial deployment in the Gauteng province, which includes Johannesburg, to help combat crime and preserve law and order. That deployment would last until the end of April, he said.

The government plans a wider deployment in five of its nine provinces, according to details submitted by police to Parliament. The deployment will focus on illegal mining in the Gauteng, North West and Free State provinces, and gang violence in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces.

Parts of the national deployment could last more than a year, police officials said.

South Africa has high rates of violent crime. Police reported 6,351 homicides from October to December 2025, an average of nearly 70 a day in a country of around 62 million people.

AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa

South African National Defense Forces deploy in the RIverlea township of Johannesburg, South Africa, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)