ITV's Managing Director of Media and Entertainment, Kevin Lygo, has officially confirmed the future of the long-running soaps Coronation Street and Emmerdale following an unprecedented period of success for the broadcaster. This announcement comes in the wake of a record-breaking month for streaming on ITVX, largely attributed to a major crossover event and a revamped scheduling strategy.
Corriedale Crossover Drives Unprecedented Viewership
At the beginning of 2026, ITV launched a groundbreaking crossover titled Corriedale, which brought together characters from both Coronation Street and Emmerdale in a dramatic one-hour special. The storyline centred on a major road traffic accident, with the Swains from Weatherfield colliding with a car driven by John Sugden and Aaron Dingle.
The event featured several shocking plot developments, including the death of Billy Mayhew in a minibus explosion, the killing of John by his sister, and the unexpected return of Graham Foster from the dead. Additionally, viewers were introduced to Shona Platt's sister Jodie, saw Aaron and Robert Sugden get engaged, and witnessed Cain Dingle receive a potential cancer diagnosis.
Record-Breaking Streaming Statistics
ITV has released impressive data showing that January 2026 was the broadcaster's biggest ever month for streaming, with a total of 383 million streams recorded on ITVX. This figure surpasses the previous record of 375 million set in June 2024 during the Men's Euros football tournament.
Both Coronation Street and Emmerdale played a pivotal role in achieving this milestone. The soaps collectively amassed 65 million streams in January alone, which is 10 million higher than their next best monthly total. Individual streaming figures for the shows saw a remarkable 48% year-on-year increase, reaching their highest monthly streaming records ever following the Corriedale crossover.
The crossover episode itself emerged as ITV's biggest programme of January 2026, attracting a total audience of 5.9 million viewers across both traditional television broadcasts and streaming platforms.
New Scheduling Strategy and Future Plans
January also marked the introduction of a new scheduling approach for the soaps, with ITV implementing a 'soap power hour' format. This sees the shows airing 30-minute episodes throughout the week during evening slots, while also being available on ITVX from 7am each morning.
Kevin Lygo emphasised the importance of these developments, stating: 'The combination of a brilliant drama offering, two of our biggest brands – Coronation Street and Emmerdale, alongside our most popular show for 16-34s, Love Island, have come together to deliver ITVX its biggest ever month. 2026 is packed full of exciting new content and it's fantastic to kick start the year with this milestone.'
This confirmation of the soaps' future comes as ITV prepares to build on this success throughout 2026, with plans for further innovative content and scheduling strategies to maintain viewer engagement across both traditional broadcast and digital platforms.
