Mobile in-app video advertising is on track to outpace mobile search spending in the U.S. this year, according to a March 2026 lookbook published by EMARKETER and sponsored by T-Mobile Advertising Solutions. The shift reflects consumer behavior that has increasingly centered on video-first apps as the primary mode of digital engagement.
Mobile in-app video spend is projected to grow 38.8% in 2026 to reach $98.28 billion, according to a December 2025 EMARKETER forecast. Video will account for 39.5% of U.S. mobile ad spend this year, compared with 38.3% for search, marking the first time mobile video has exceeded mobile search in ad allocation.
Time Spent Tilts Toward Video
Consumer time spent with mobile video continues to climb. U.S. adults ages 18 and older spent an average of 1 hour and 33 minutes per day watching mobile video in 2025, according to EMARKETER’s December 2025 forecast. That figure is projected to reach 1 hour and 36 minutes in 2026 and 1 hour and 39 minutes in 2027, though the year-over-year growth rate is decelerating, falling from 6% in 2025 to 3.8% in 2026 and 2.7% in 2027.
Watching video was the most popular activity U.S. adults performed on their phones last year, accounting for 36.1% of smartphone time, according to EMARKETER. Among social platforms, consumers spent the most time with YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.
“Despite the buzz around CTV, mobile video attracts more than twice the ad dollars as CTV,” said Yory Wurmser, principal analyst for advertising, media and technology at EMARKETER. “It boils down to attention and effectiveness. The average U.S. adult spends over an hour and a half on mobile video, with most of that time on platforms with highly targeted ads.”
Short-Form Dominates Globally
Short-form video has emerged as the preferred content format across international markets. A March 2025 survey conducted by EMARKETER and impact.com found that 63% of worldwide social users prefer their creator and influencer content in short-video formats. The preference held across all eight countries surveyed, ranging from 77% in China to 57% in the U.S. and Italy.
Social network users spent an average of 54 minutes per day on TikTok in 2025, compared with 36 minutes on Instagram, according to EMARKETER’s December 2025 forecast. The number of ReelShort productions in the U.S. nearly tripled from 2024 to 2025, reflecting growing investment in the microdrama format. Netflix has also begun testing vertical, short-form content.
“TikTok helped short-form become a dominant format with creator-driven content,” Wurmser said. “But consumers have embraced the format so much that major media players are producing short-form programming with high-production values.”
Young Audiences Anchor to Mobile
Teens are concentrating their video consumption on smartphones. Watching shorts ranked among the top three activities U.S. teens performed on smartphones, according to June 2025 data from AppsAnywhere. Teens spent more time watching shorts and YouTube on smartphones than on tablets, laptops, or desktops. EMARKETER also found that teens spend more time on TikTok than any other age group.
The pattern extends to second-screen behavior. Nearly half, or 46%, of Gen Alpha used phones or tablets to watch YouTube while simultaneously watching content on a television, according to July 2025 data from Precisify. Additionally, 79% of Gen Zers said they would use a streaming app more per week if short-form video options were available, according to a March 2025 report from Toluna.
Ad Load Tolerance Remains a Constraint
Consumer patience for advertising has limits that marketers will need to account for. Over a third, or 33.7%, of TV and video viewers identified excessive ads as their biggest source of annoyance, making it the top complaint in an October 2025 TiVo report. Repetitive ads ranked second at 27.5%.
Two-thirds, or 66.7%, of consumers said they would tolerate a maximum of four ads per streaming show before considering cancellation or upgrading to an ad-free tier, according to a May 2025 survey by Attest. The average monthly cost of an ad-free plan across major streaming services rose to $16 last year, up from $9 in 2021, according to company press releases and The Verge.
Despite those constraints, almost half, or 49%, of consumers said television ads influence their purchasing decisions, according to a January 2026 report from DISQO.
Senior marketers are prioritizing in-feed and vertical placements in response to the broader shift. Nearly two-thirds, or 64%, of senior marketers’ teams identified in-feed video as their top area of interest, while 52% cited vertical video, according to a May 2025 survey from Teads and MMA Global.
David Adler is an entrepreneur and freelance blog post writer who enjoys writing about business, entrepreneurship, travel and the influencer marketing space.
Mobile in-app video advertising is on track to outpace mobile search spending in the U.S. this year, according to a March 2026 lookbook published by EMARKETER and sponsored by T-Mobile Advertising Solutions. The shift reflects consumer behavior that has increasingly centered on video-first apps as the primary mode of digital engagement.
Mobile in-app video spend is projected to grow 38.8% in 2026 to reach $98.28 billion, according to a December 2025 EMARKETER forecast. Video will account for 39.5% of U.S. mobile ad spend this year, compared with 38.3% for search, marking the first time mobile video has exceeded mobile search in ad allocation.
Time Spent Tilts Toward Video
Consumer time spent with mobile video continues to climb. U.S. adults ages 18 and older spent an average of 1 hour and 33 minutes per day watching mobile video in 2025, according to EMARKETER’s December 2025 forecast. That figure is projected to reach 1 hour and 36 minutes in 2026 and 1 hour and 39 minutes in 2027, though the year-over-year growth rate is decelerating, falling from 6% in 2025 to 3.8% in 2026 and 2.7% in 2027.
Watching video was the most popular activity U.S. adults performed on their phones last year, accounting for 36.1% of smartphone time, according to EMARKETER. Among social platforms, consumers spent the most time with YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.
“Despite the buzz around CTV, mobile video attracts more than twice the ad dollars as CTV,” said Yory Wurmser, principal analyst for advertising, media and technology at EMARKETER. “It boils down to attention and effectiveness. The average U.S. adult spends over an hour and a half on mobile video, with most of that time on platforms with highly targeted ads.”
Short-Form Dominates Globally
Short-form video has emerged as the preferred content format across international markets. A March 2025 survey conducted by EMARKETER and impact.com found that 63% of worldwide social users prefer their creator and influencer content in short-video formats. The preference held across all eight countries surveyed, ranging from 77% in China to 57% in the U.S. and Italy.
Social network users spent an average of 54 minutes per day on TikTok in 2025, compared with 36 minutes on Instagram, according to EMARKETER’s December 2025 forecast. The number of ReelShort productions in the U.S. nearly tripled from 2024 to 2025, reflecting growing investment in the microdrama format. Netflix has also begun testing vertical, short-form content.
“TikTok helped short-form become a dominant format with creator-driven content,” Wurmser said. “But consumers have embraced the format so much that major media players are producing short-form programming with high-production values.”
Young Audiences Anchor to Mobile
Teens are concentrating their video consumption on smartphones. Watching shorts ranked among the top three activities U.S. teens performed on smartphones, according to June 2025 data from AppsAnywhere. Teens spent more time watching shorts and YouTube on smartphones than on tablets, laptops, or desktops. EMARKETER also found that teens spend more time on TikTok than any other age group.
The pattern extends to second-screen behavior. Nearly half, or 46%, of Gen Alpha used phones or tablets to watch YouTube while simultaneously watching content on a television, according to July 2025 data from Precisify. Additionally, 79% of Gen Zers said they would use a streaming app more per week if short-form video options were available, according to a March 2025 report from Toluna.
Ad Load Tolerance Remains a Constraint
Consumer patience for advertising has limits that marketers will need to account for. Over a third, or 33.7%, of TV and video viewers identified excessive ads as their biggest source of annoyance, making it the top complaint in an October 2025 TiVo report. Repetitive ads ranked second at 27.5%.
Two-thirds, or 66.7%, of consumers said they would tolerate a maximum of four ads per streaming show before considering cancellation or upgrading to an ad-free tier, according to a May 2025 survey by Attest. The average monthly cost of an ad-free plan across major streaming services rose to $16 last year, up from $9 in 2021, according to company press releases and The Verge.
Despite those constraints, almost half, or 49%, of consumers said television ads influence their purchasing decisions, according to a January 2026 report from DISQO.
Senior marketers are prioritizing in-feed and vertical placements in response to the broader shift. Nearly two-thirds, or 64%, of senior marketers’ teams identified in-feed video as their top area of interest, while 52% cited vertical video, according to a May 2025 survey from Teads and MMA Global.
Image source: EMARKETER
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