Whether you are in your car, at work or at the gym, more Americans are stay connected to the media according to Activate Consulting’s 2026 Technology & Media Outlook
The average adult absorbs just over 13 hours a day to any source of media and technology equaling about 32 hours a week. The media is described as listening to music, live or streamed radio, and podcasts.
While traditional radio is still the king, podcast listening is seeing higher numbers in some cases. Activate says 81% of consumers now listen to podcasts on a weekly basis, including 43% who listen daily. Another 14% listen at least once per month and that is across all age groups.
People are mutli-tasking when it comes to how they listen to media. Data shows breakdowns of how some will listen to the radio in one hour and then turn around and listen to a podcast followed by watching a video on social media or even gaming.
76% of music and podcast listeners reported they multitask when it came to listening to the media. “Multitasking is the time multiplier across all major technology and media behaviors,” the report says. Activate says that 72% of music listeners are multitasking, while 62% of podcast consumers are also engaging in another activity.
Some of the top venues of those listening to media and podcast where political shows, religions and sports.
The report from Activate predicts that in the next few years, more Americans will tune in to watch sporting activities. Why. The huge increase in demand from online sports betting, which is becoming more mainstream as more states and governments lean towards legalization.
“We forecast total U.S. sports betting amount wagered will surpass $200B annually in 2028, reaching $215B in 2029,” said Activate.
