One Day Independent Research

Second Screen TV Viewing

Research led by One Day: Second Screen TV Viewing.

Does the UK TV audience use a second screen while watching TV? And if they do, how do they use it? We surveyed 1,000 UK users to find out.

We have conducted an independent research study in May 2026, surveying 1,000 respondents to measure the habits and preferences of TV viewers regarding second-screen usage.

In this section, we analysed the behaviour of the 18-34 demographic to understand how they interact with supplementary devices while watching television. The traditional assumption is that TV holds the undivided attention of the room. The data entirely disproves this, revealing a highly connected audience that splits its attention between the broadcast and a personal screen.

Read below our analysis of the key findings and the strategic behaviours advertisers should adopt to turn distracted viewers into engaged consumers.

93% of Viewers Use a Second Screen

The data confirms that second screening is the default behaviour. When asked if they use a device while watching TV, 37% say they sometimes do, 32% say they often do, and 24% say they always do. Only 6% claim they never use a second screen.

79% Choose the Smartphone as Their Secondary Device

The secondary screen is overwhelmingly mobile. 79% of respondents use a phone while watching TV. Laptops follow at a distant 11%, and tablets capture just 5% of the audience.

46% Are on Social Media or Messaging

While the TV is on, viewers are highly social. 46% use their device for social media or messaging. Another 22% are browsing or shopping, while 13% are actively searching for information about the show they are watching.

52% Switch to Their Phone During Ad Breaks

The traditional TV ad break is a major trigger for distraction. When ads come on, 52% of the audience immediately switch their attention to their phone. Only 9% keep their attention on the TV. Another 19% actively skip the ads, and 16% simply tune out, still highlighting the potential of passive listening.

68% Use Their Phone to Look Up Show Details

TV content actively drives mobile search. 68% of respondents pick up their phone specifically to look up actors or facts related to the programme. Only 21% say they just watch without interacting.

68% Search for TV Products, and 84% Use Google to Find Them

Despite the high distraction rate during ad breaks, TV advertising still drives discovery. Combining the data, 68% of the audience have searched for a product or service seen on TV at least rarely. 29% state they have never done this. Despite the high distraction rates during ad breaks, television remains a powerful driver for product discovery. The data shows that 68% of the audience have searched for a product or service after seeing it on TV.

However, the journey from the TV screen to the brand is almost entirely monopolised by search engines. When viewers want to find a brand they saw advertised, a great number of 84% rely on Google Search, while only 6% type the web address directly, and 5% look up social media profiles. This confirms that a TV ad is rarely the final destination; it is simply the catalyst for a Google search.

Financial incentives are the strongest direct catalyst for mobile action. 28% state that an offer, discount, or competition is the primary reason they would use their phone after seeing an ad. 15% will act if the content or message is highly relevant. However, 40% select none of the above, indicating that action is often impulsive or driven by other factors.

28% Are Triggered by Offers and Discounts

Second Screening is a shift of attention, not a loss of it

The research proves that the 18-34 demographic does not watch TV in isolation. The living room is a dual-screen environment. While 52% of viewers look at their phones during ad breaks, this is not necessarily a loss of attention. It is a shift in attention. Brands must stop viewing the smartphone as a competitor to TV and start treating it as the primary conversion tool.

To turn these viewing behaviours into a competitive advantage, we recommend the following strategic considerations for advertisers. Read below the analysis, and how to integrate best a cross-channel strategy to your TV campaigns.

What does this mean for brands?

52% Switch to Their Phone During Ad Breaks

Because 52% of the audience switches their attention to their phone the moment an ad break begins, a standalone TV commercial is highly vulnerable to being ignored. However, this applies only to the visual; while the focus is on the phone, the audience is still passively listening to what is going on around them. This highlights the importance of the audio in your ad, which will still be heard even if people stop watching.

Suggested approach: Advertisers must bridge the gap between the TV screen and the mobile screen. Run synchronised paid social campaigns that hit the user's feed at the exact time your TV ad airs. If their eyes move to Instagram or TikTok during the break, your brand needs to be there waiting for them. Use audio that will grasp the attention of the audience, don’t solely rely on music, use audio cues, or voice over with content that will capture the audience's attention back on the TV.

68% Are in an Active Research Mindset

The data shows that 68% of viewers pick up their phone specifically to research actors or facts, placing them in an "active research mindset." This investigative state makes TV a uniquely powerful engine for cross-channel growth. According to data from Demand Generation, TV boosts the effectiveness of other channels significantly, driving an 8% uplift in generic search and a 20% increase in online video and direct mail performance.

Suggested approach: Capitalize on this primed curiosity. Since audiences already have their search engines open, brands should replace straightforward pitches with intrigue, using cliff-hangers or hidden details. If they are already researching the show, give them a compelling reason to research your brand at the exact same time.

84% Rely on Google Search to Find TV Brands

With 84% of consumers using Google to find brands they have just discovered on screen, the synergy between TV and search is no longer optional. This behavior highlights that TV acts as the ultimate "top-of-funnel" spark, while Google Search serves as the critical "bottom-of-funnel" net. By leveraging PPC (Pay-Per-Click), brands can capture this immediate surge in intent, ensuring that the momentum generated by a high-cost TV spot is fully realized in conversions. As described in the Demand Generation table previously shown, TV directly fuels a 5% to 8% uplift in generic search and a great 20% boost in online video performance.

Suggested approach:

Never run a TV campaign without a fully funded, synchronized Google Ads strategy. To protect your investment and maximize ROI, you must:

Aggressive Brand Bidding: Use PPC to bid heavily on your brand terms, specific product names, and unique ad taglines. This ensures you own the top position when a viewer’s curiosity peaks.
Prevent Competitor Hijacking: If a viewer searches for your product and a competitor’s ad appears first, you have effectively paid for their customer acquisition. Aggressive Paid Search coverage prevents this "leakage."
SEO & PPC correlation: While SEO captures long-term organic traffic, PPC provides the immediate, surgical precision needed to match the real-time spikes in search volume that occur the moment a TV commercial airs.
Match your ad copy with your TV ad: Make sure that the text you’ll have on your google ad is relevant with the TV, don’t be too generic but specific to what your product or service is.

28% Are Triggered to Act by Offers and Discounts

While 28% of viewers are motivated to act by specific offers or discounts, many are doing so while their eyes are glued to a "second screen." This makes the audio component of a TV ad just as vital as the visual. Even when a viewer’s primary attention is on their phone, they are still listening; the audio acts as the persistent hook that maintains the connection to the brand and drives the search behaviour.

Suggested approach:

Give the audience a clear, search-friendly reason to act immediately through both sight and sound. Instead of simply building passive brand awareness, use your audio track to command attention:

Bold Audio Cues: Verbally announce a promo code or a time-sensitive offer. Hearing a "limited-time" incentive can trigger an immediate shift in focus back to the TV or straight to a search engine.
Search Instructions: Don't just show a URL; tell the viewer exactly what to search for (e.g., "Search 'Summer Sale' now"). This reduces friction and ensures your PPC strategy captures the traffic.
Aural Branding: Consistent use of sound ensures that even if a viewer is scrolling, they know exactly which brand is offering the deal.

TV Builds Demand, Mobile Captures It

Modern TV viewers are highly connected and easily distracted. To capture this audience, brands must accept that the TV screen builds the demand, but the mobile screen captures it. By aligning TV media buying with robust paid search, PPC, and social media strategies, advertisers can transform the second screen from a distraction into a high-converting, direct-response mechanism.

Success requires a unified digital net: utilising real-time Google Ads bidding to own search results the moment an ad airs, and ensuring social media creative mirrors the TV narrative to maintain brand continuity. This integrated approach ensures that every spike in viewer curiosity is met with an immediate, clickable destination, effectively closing the loop between broadcast inspiration and digital acquisition.

Learn more about TV advertising, VOD Advertising, CTV Advertising and TV Sponsorships with us!

Frequently Asked Questions.

We use trusted data partners to gather reliable insights. For this study, we surveyed 1,000 respondents in April 2026 to get a clear, accurate picture of how people interact with supplementary devices while watching TV.
Yes. We commissioned this study ourselves to get an unbiased view of the market. We can focus on the hard truths about audience behaviour and what it means for cross-channel brand investments.
We focused on a robust sample size of 1,000 individuals. This ensures the data reflects a wide spectrum of modern consumer habits, giving advertisers a realistic view of who is actually watching the screen.
Because understanding where the viewer's attention goes during an ad break dictates how you should spend your budget. By analysing mobile usage and search habits, we can help brands plan smarter, integrated media buys that capture lost attention.
The insights point to three clear actions. Sync your TV ads with paid social campaigns to capture mobile switchers, fully fund your Google Search campaigns to capture the 84% who use search engines to find TV brands, and use clear offers highlighted in your audio to drive immediate action.

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