ITV's soap chaos leaves Coronation Street and Emmerdale fans frustrated again
Fans of Coronation Street and Emmerdale are facing yet more disruption to their viewing routines. Five months after ITV reshuffled its soap schedules, further changes have sparked frustration among loyal audiences.
The latest upheaval comes as streaming figures for the shows rise sharply, with a 48 per cent increase in online views compared to last year. Yet, despite growing digital popularity, traditional broadcast slots remain under threat from major sporting events—including the upcoming 2026 World Cup. The problems began earlier this year when ITV scrapped the long-running 'soap power hour'. Episodes were either axed or moved to less convenient slots, leaving many viewers angry. This week, both Coronation Street and Emmerdale were pulled from their usual schedule, with episodes condensed into a single one-hour Sunday broadcast.
The chaos isn’t over. The 2026 FIFA World Cup, starting in June, will take place across North America and is expected to clash with soap airtimes. ITV has already confirmed that live match coverage will take priority, pushing soaps out of their regular slots for some games. In recent months, similar clashes with sporting events have forced episodes off air entirely or shifted them to less popular time slots.
Despite the scheduling turmoil, streaming numbers tell a different story. In January 2026 alone, the two soaps racked up a combined 65 million streams—up nearly half from the previous year. Yet, with further disruptions looming, fans now fear losing even more of their favourite shows to unpredictable scheduling changes. The ongoing schedule shifts have left soap viewers uncertain about when—or if—their favourite episodes will air. With the World Cup set to bring more interruptions in June, ITV’s decision to prioritise live sports means further changes are inevitable. For now, fans must adapt to an ever-changing viewing experience, even as online demand for the soaps continues to grow.
