TV has confirmed that as of 2026, both Coronation Street and Emmerdale will see a major schedule change take place.
The current schedule will be completely changed to allow for shorter episodes across the span of the week.
These changes will happen from January next year, giving viewers time to prepare for their new evening routine.
The current schedule sees Coronation Street air on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for an hour at 8pm-9pm.
Emmerdale airs every weeknight from 7.30pm-8.30pm, with the exception of Thursdays when the soap airs for an hour.
However, from January 2026, both soaps will have a new schedule. This will see Emmerdale air every weeknight for half an hour from 8pm-8.30pm.
Coronation Street will follow every weeknight for half an hour from 8.30pm-9pm.
This means that all hour episodes will be scrapped, making way for shorter viewing experiences across five nights a week.
Episodes for both soaps will still be made available from 7am on ITVX on the day they are due to air.
To mark this new change, both soaps will see in 2026 with a never-seen-before stunt.
ITV’s new Soap Power Hour explained
ITV’s Managing Director of Media and Entertainment Kevin Lygo has now explained the reason behind the new schedule change.
He 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.”
The new changes have been branded ‘Soap Power Hour’ and will mark an exciting change in the future of soap on the channel.
