Fans of popular British soaps, Coronation Street and Emmerdale, should brace themselves as more scheduling disruptions are expected, even five months after ITV’s revamped programming strategy.
These longstanding staples of ITV’s lineup have frequently had to adjust their airing times, particularly when live sports events take precedence, causing some viewer frustration.
Despite an outcry over recent episode cancellations, such disruptions are slated to persist until at least 2026, according to reports from The Sun.
The scheduling upheaval follows ITV’s introduction of the “soap power hour,” designed to air both dramas consecutively each weekday evening.
As a result, both shows have sacrificed their usual sixth episode amidst ongoing scheduling reductions.
Under the current format, Emmerdale kicks off the evening at 8:00 PM, with Coronation Street following at 8:30 PM.
Coronation Street and Emmerdale viewers will be faced with further updates as the scheduling chaos is said to be continuing five months on from ITV’s new look plans
The two major soap operas have been a flagship of ITV’s output since their launch, but they have regularly had to amend their schedules when live sports are involved
But with the World Cup only a few weeks away, both soaps are set to face constant upheaval.
Soap viewers are reportedly bracing for a bleak summer as the 2026 World Cup threatens to wreak havoc on soap schedules.
The FIFA World Cup 2026, set to take place across Canada, Mexico and the United States, kicks off in June, with ITV expected to prioritise live match coverage.
However, the beloved soaps are set to be forced out of their usual slots for some matches, after ITV bosses introduced a ‘soap power hour’ from 8pm to 9pm each night.
A source told The Sun: ‘It’s proving quite the headache behind the scenes.
‘Soap fans have already had to get used to the new slots, which came in at the beginning of the year, so with more changes coming there’s a real fear they could lose more viewers.
‘Airing the episodes on a Sunday just does not work and now with the new schedule it’s very unlikely they’ll be able to run before these big World Cup matches start.’
According to insiders, ‘lots of discussions’ are ongoing as bosses scramble to minimise the impact.
But with the World Cup only a few weeks away, both soaps are set to face constant upheaval
The Daily Mail has contacted ITV for comment at the time.
In recent months, sporting clashes have already forced episodes off air entirely, while others have been pushed to less popular Sunday evening slots, a move that has frustrated loyal viewers.
Earlier this week, both soaps were pulled from their usual schedule, with episodes shifted to a one-hour Sunday broadcast instead.
ITV previously attempted to ease disruption by releasing episodes early on ITVX, but the strategy reportedly left audiences confused.
Despite the scheduling chaos, the broadcaster claims that the changes have increased digital viewing.
Streaming figures for the soaps are up 48 per cent year-on-year, with both Coronation Street and Emmerdale recording their highest ever monthly figures.
The shows pulled in a combined 65million streams in January 2026, 10million more than any previous record, with Coronation Street reaching an audience of 5.9million across TV and streaming.
Earlier this year, Coronation Street and Emmerdale fans were in uproar as the popular shows had been cancelled again by ITV.
The ‘soap power hour’ was once again scrapped on April 14 to make way for sporting events on the channel.
This time it was the Women’s European Qualifier match, which saw England’s Lionesses go head-to-head with Spain.
Emmerdale typically airs on ITV from Monday to Friday at 8pm while Coronation Street typically airs at 8.30pm.
However, it was good news for fans of EastEnders, as the soap still aired at its usual time of 7.30pm on BBC1.
