15/06/2026
For the first time in 20 years of IPA TouchPoints data, British adults now spend more time on their mobile phones than watching television.
3 hours 21 minutes on mobile and 3 hours 16 minutes on TV. It’s a small gap, but a significant milestone, and among 16-24 year-olds, the difference is far more dramatic.
Nearly 5 hours daily on phones and under 2 hours watching TV. Fewer than half watch broadcast television in an average week.
For media buyers, this isn't a footnote, it's a fundamental challenge to how budgets have traditionally been allocated.
The brands keeping pace are the ones following audience behaviour rather than legacy channel definitions. There are four other forces reshaping media buying in the UK right now and you can read all about it in our article:
https://www.notanothermarketingagency.co.uk/news/five-trends-reshaping-how-brands-buy-advertising-in-2026-and-beyond/