The news: The Super Bowl is no longer a one-shot awareness event. It is a conduit to owned, measurable environments through second-screen activations. This year, TikTok and Uber Eats both turned their TV spots into entry points for deeper interaction.

TikTok invited creators, athletes, and brand teams, including Doritos and Ulta Beauty, into a centralized in-real-life (IRL) hub for Super Bowl weekend.

• Inside the clubhouse, they filmed short-form videos, collaborated on trends and reacted to game moments in real time, per Adweek.
• The result: On Super Bowl Sunday and the following Monday, TikTok recorded a 13% YoY lift in Super Bowl–related engagement.

Uber’s “Hungry for the Truth” ad, starring Matthew McConaughey and Bradley Cooper, directed viewers to the Uber app to “Build Your Own Super Bowl Commercial.” Users assembled one of 1,000-plus ad variations and unlocked various in-app incentives, including 50% off $15 orders, along with select ride and retail partner discounts.

“You’ve got to fish where the fish are,” Chris Bellinger, chief creative officer at Doritos owner PepsiCo Foods told Adweek. “Especially with Gen Z, the second screen is almost becoming the primary screen.”

Last year, Doritos saw 35% YoY growth in brand mentions during the game and added more than 200,000 followers over the Super Bowl window thanks to its “Crash the Super Bowl” campaign.

Why it’s worth watching: TV-led, mobile-connected campaigns align with a broader behavioral shift—we forecast US second-screen social network users will reach 147 million by 2027, up from 139.5 million in 2025. Viewers are watching the game while scrolling and engaging.

A 30-second ad creates a spike in viewership, but second-screen experiences can extend it into hours of active engagement inside captive environments. This is especially relevant on social media and mobile apps, where performance is already measured.

Implications for brands: The second screen is now performance media, not just a means to share commentary.

If used wisely, second-screen integration effectively captures time spent, first-party data, and even real-time transactions from engaged audiences. Here are some effective second-screen strategies:

• Plan campaigns around viral events like the Olympics and FIFA World Cup as connected systems.
• Use TV for scale, then route viewers to apps and creator feeds built for engagement and offers.

The brands that can convert simultaneous viewing into measurable action will extract more value from every media dollar while boosting user engagement and loyalty.