ITV Soap Schedule Faces Fresh Turmoil as Football Takes Priority
Just one month after ITV launched its ambitious new transmission pattern for flagship soaps Coronation Street and Emmerdale, the broadcaster's schedule has descended into chaos once again. The much-touted 'soap power hour', which began in January with back-to-back episodes airing from 8pm Monday to Friday, is already being disrupted by sports programming, leaving loyal viewers exasperated.
The New Schedule That's Already Under Pressure
ITV's Managing Director of Media and Entertainment Kevin Lygo had championed the new format as "viewer-led" and designed to meet changing audience habits. The revised schedule saw both soaps reduced to five weekly episodes of 30 minutes each, with research suggesting this format attracted higher audience figures throughout 2024.
Lygo explained the thinking behind the changes: "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." He emphasised that streaming-friendly 30-minute episodes better served modern expectations for pacey storytelling and resolution.
February's Football Disruption
Despite these carefully laid plans, February brings immediate disruption. The week commencing Monday, February 2 sees both soaps completely absent from the schedule on two separate nights:
- Tuesday, February 3: The Arsenal v Chelsea Carabao Cup match airs from 7:30pm, displacing the usual trips to Weatherfield and the Dales
- Thursday, February 5: A Six Nations rugby match between France and Ireland takes precedence
While episodes remain available on ITVX and YouTube, the linear schedule disruption has sparked significant backlash from dedicated viewers who prefer traditional broadcast viewing.
Viewer Backlash and Growing Frustration
Soap fans have taken to social media to express their mounting frustration with the constant schedule changes. One viewer complained: "I am fed up of soaps being cancelled due to football. Can't they put the games on a dedicated 'free' channel?"
Another lamented the evolving situation: "I remember the times we used to get episodes moved to other times because of the football, but now it seems like the new standard is simply no episode at all on the football/sports days!"
The reduction from six to five weekly episodes already concerned some viewers, with one commenter noting: "Now every other week it seems they lose another episode. So in 2026 how many fewer episodes will there really be compared to 2025."
The Broader Context of Changing Viewing Habits
This latest scheduling conflict highlights the ongoing tension between traditional broadcast television and the demands of live sports coverage. While ITV has positioned its new soap format as responsive to streaming-era viewing patterns, the immediate disruption from sports programming suggests the broadcaster continues to prioritise live events over scripted drama in its linear schedule.
The situation raises questions about whether the reduced episode count, combined with frequent sports-related cancellations, might ultimately diminish viewer engagement with Britain's most beloved soaps. As one frustrated fan summarised: "This whole new schedule is a ploy to tear our beloved soap episodes away from us."
With football and rugby fixtures continuing throughout the year, ITV faces the challenge of balancing its commitment to soap viewers with its lucrative sports broadcasting contracts, leaving fans wondering how many more disruptions lie ahead in 2026.
