Losing the plot: Should streaming services cater to second screeners?

During the promotional cycle for his new film The Rip, the actor Matt Damon recently accused streaming services of asking for concessions to "second screen" viewers. Among these requests was a suggestion that the characters reiterate the plot "three or four times" in dialogue for the benefit of viewers who are watching on their phones.

This led to enough controversy that commentators accused streamers of “dumbing down” content, and the idea was roundly mocked by Conan O'Brien and Sterling K. Brown at the most recent Oscars ceremony. (The streamer, for what it's worth, denies that they made this request).

The controversy raises questions about the prevalence of second screening in 2026, and whether or not it affects how Britons watch films and television shows. Using YouGov Surveys data, we can provide a few answers.

Firstly, our polling shows that second screening is something the majority of viewers indulge in to some extent. Approaching two-thirds of Britons second screen at least some of the time while watching TV shows (64%) or films (56%) live or on streaming services.

But does this meaningfully affect how viewers pay attention to their content? Our data shows that around half of Britons (48%) say they miss key events or details while watching films and TV series. This rises to three in five (60%) of the most committed “second screeners” – those who are on their phones “most times” or “every time” they watch a film or TV show. However, it should also be noted that two in five (39%)  single screeners – those who say they "rarely" or "never" use mobile devices while watching this content – also miss plot points.

Are these details missed because of divided attentions? The data shows that half the general public (50%) and four in ten second screeners (43%) say they’re giving more of their attention to the TV while second screening. However, a sizable proportion of both  – 44% of the public and 56% of second screeners (35%) – say they either pay more attention to their mobile devices or equal attention to their TV and their device.

Whatever the validity of complaints that shows are getting "stupider", it may be a pragmatic response to a distracted viewership.

And in any case, restating the plot is something the public find broadly useful. Half of Britons (52%) say that they appreciate plot reminders, rising to three-fifths of second screeners (63%). Even “single screen” viewers who say they rarely or never go on their devices while watching films or TV are split: 46% find that characters restating events is useful to them, with 45% saying it is not.

Methodology

YouGov polled 2,004 British adults online on March 5-6. The survey was carried out through YouGov Surveys: Self-serve. Data is weighted by age, gender, education level, region, and social grade. The margin of error is 2% for the overall sample. Learn more about YouGov Surveys: Self-serve.

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