The trend: US adult media consumption will reach 13 hours and 26 minutes per day in 2026, per EMARKETER’s US Time Spent With Media H2 2026 Update report. The increase was driven by generative AI platforms, which added a new block of screen time without reducing usage in other media categories.

• Generative AI tasks like writing, coding, and research favor larger screens and physical keyboards, causing desktop and laptop engagement to increase to 1 hour and 17 minutes per day—its highest level since the pandemic.
• The average adult will spend 16 minutes daily with native AI platforms, led by ChatGPT, which commands a 53.5% market share, while active users average 32 minutes.
• Traditional TV’s decline has slowed, propped up by live sports video viewing, which averages 24 minutes daily among all adults and 44 minutes among active sports fans.

TV still reigns: Digital platforms are not taking over older media formats.

• Media access habits show that converged TV (traditional linear and connected TV combined) draws 38 more minutes of daily consumer attention than mobile devices.
• Traditional TV remains the primary medium for sports, representing 66.8% of all sports viewing time and accounting for 11.1% of total linear watch time.
• While platforms like Amazon, Netflix, and YouTube have acquired costly live sports rights, streaming accounts for only 2.3% of total digital video watch time.

Recommendations for marketers: Audience attention is gravitating toward living room screens and desktop environments, requiring ad spend across multi-screen setups.

• Treat linear and connected TV as a single, combined channel. Allocate budget toward TV screens, where aggregated audience attention exceeds mobile device usage.
• Design ad campaigns under the assumption that viewers are second- or third-screening simultaneously. Ensure brand messaging is highly visual and understandable.
• Allocate specific campaign resources to desktop and laptop environments for B2B, productivity, or research-driven solutions to align with the return to larger screens driven by generative AI platforms.

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