[hold] {one's} attention

to maintain someone's focus, interest, or engagement

The engaging story held the children's attention throughout the entire book.
A well-delivered speech can hold the audience's attention and convey the message effectively.
Effective teachers use interactive activities to hold their students' attention in the classroom.
In a digital age, it's challenging to create content that can hold people's attention.
The dynamic presentation held the investors' attention and generated interest in the business proposal.