ITV slashes Coronation Street and Emmerdale weekly episodes
ITV has confirmed it is slashing its soap schedule, meaning 'Coronation Street' and Emmerdale's combined weekly output will be down from six hours a week to five hours a week.
ITV is slashing its soap scheduling, with 'Coronation Street' and Emmerdale's weekly output to be cut.
The channel has confirmed that from January 2026, 'Corrie' and 'Emmerdale' will move to a new scheduling pattern on ITV1, which includes a "soaps power hour" from Monday to Friday.
As part of the new-look schedule, 'Emmerdale' will air 30-minute episodes at 8pm, and 'Corrie' will air half an hour eps at 8.30pm.
It's a change from the current schedule, which sees 'Corrie' air three hour-long episodes a week, and 'Emmerdale' airs four 30-minute episodes and one hour-long episode, meaning both soaps will effectively lose an episode a week under the new scheduling.
'Coronation Street' and 'Emmerdale' episodes will continue to drop at 7am on ITVX before their terrestrial transmissions later that evening.
ITV’s Managing Director of Media and Entertainment Kevin Lygo said: "The new commissioning pattern is viewer-led. We already give more choice than ever to viewers on how they watch us through ITVX and we want to present their favourite soap to them, in the most digestible way.
"In a world where there is so much competition for viewers' time and attention, and viewing habits continue to change, we believe this is the right amount of episodes that fans can fit into their viewing schedule, to keep up to date with the shows.
"Research insights also show us that soap viewers are increasingly looking to the soaps for their pacey storytelling.
"Streaming-friendly, 30-minute episodes better provide the opportunity to meet viewer expectations for storyline pace, pay-off and resolution.
"Whilst viewing is growing on ITVX, we know a significant proportion of our soaps’ audience still watch us via the schedule.
"This new pattern is in the DNA of the soap genre - nobody else does 30 minute drama this successfully.
"It creates a soap power hour that's consistent, and easy to find in the linear schedule, for the UK’s biggest soaps."
Kevin admitted the upcoming changes from six hours of ITV soaps to five hours a week will "have an impact for the people who work on the soaps team".
He added: "This new commissioning pattern will mean five hours of soaps a week, rather than the current six. We are conscious this will have an impact for the people who work on the soaps team.
"We will support our colleagues in ITV Studios as they work through these changes, and will do what we can to mitigate the impact on our people.
"These changes are motivated by doing what we believe is best for the continuing success of these important programmes in the long term.
"They also create headroom in the overall programme budget for investment in programming that can help ITV grow reach in a very, very competitive market."
But ITV also admitted the start of the 2026 schedule will be "marked in spectacular style" when both 'Corrie' and 'Emmerdale' "embark on an ambitious, never before seen stunt as part of a week of special episodes".
This news comes after it was confirmed that several big-name stars are to leave 'Coronation Street' later this year.
Sue Cleaver (Eileen Grimshaw), Colson Smith (Craig Tinker) and Charlotte Jordan (Daisy Midgeley) recently announced upcoming departures, and it's also expected that Shelley King (Yasmeen Nazir) and Sue Devaney (Debbie Webster) will leave the cobbles, too.
