Second-screen behavior will define CTV strategy in 2026

The trend: Watching TV while being on a smartphone or tablet is quickly becoming the default viewing mode, not a side habit. What started as casual scrolling is now active intent—researching products, chatting on social media, and buying in real time. 

• 34% of US TV viewers have purchased merchandise, collectibles, or fashion inspired by a movie or TV show, per Horowitz Research. 
• 31% of viewers have shopped for products related to the show they’re watching using QR codes or shopping links during the show. 

For advertisers, the second screen has shifted from distraction to demand signal. 

Key stat: We forecast that nearly two-thirds of US social network users will watch TV or streaming while scrolling on second screens in 2026. 

Why it matters: This behavior is reshaping how TV, connected TV (CTV), and social media work together, collapsing the purchase journey into minutes and sometimes seconds. Viewers see an ad, scan or tap, and land on a product page before the spot ends.

• Streamers like Tubi have embraced QR-enabled and interactive ads designed for viewers who already have a phone in hand. 
• Samsung Ads rolled out interactive TV formats that connect CTV impressions to mobile actions, including site visits and store lookups. 

Marketers have seen this playbook work at scale. Coinbase’s Super Bowl QR code ad in 2022 remains the clearest proof point. It drove millions of scans and briefly overwhelmed its site. 

Shoppable TV is scaling beyond pilots.

• AI-based visual search is now built directly into flagship LG and Samsung sets and marketed as a mainstream feature rather than a novelty.
• IRCODE has evolved from a QR-code alternative into a broader “Exact Match” computer-vision layer, powering products like LIVE+ for live broadcasts and Lens, a white-labeled visual recognition infrastructure that lets brands turn any TV frame, billboard, or packaging into a scannable, attributable interaction.

Second-screening has transcended from a growth trend to normalized behavior baked into how those in the US consume video and social media at the same time. CTV platforms will continue to serve as the conduit through strategies like pause ads, QR codes, and other shoppable hooks.

What brands should do next: Treat second-screen users as high-intent audiences. 

• Design TV creative assuming a phone is already in hand. QR codes, pause ads, and links to YouTube campaigns are the most effective strategies to convert viewing to buying.
• Sync CTV with social, search, and commerce links, and measure across devices, not channels.