itv has dropped both Coronation Street and Emmerdale from the schedules tonight, marking an early disruption to the broadcaster’s new “soap power hour. ” The move replaces the usual 8pm–9pm soap block with live coverage of the Six Nations match between Ireland and Wales.
What is the immediate state of play?
The two serial dramas that moved to a 30-minute, weeknight pattern earlier this year will not air in their expected Friday slots. Emmerdale’s usual 8pm instalment and Coronation Street’s 8. 30pm instalment have been shunted to Monday, to accommodate Six Nations Live, which begins at 7. 20pm ET and features an opening match presented by Jill Douglas from the Aviva Stadium where Ireland face Wales from 8. 10pm ET. Emmerdale is scheduled to return on Monday at 8pm ET, with Coronation Street following at 8. 30pm ET.
Kevin Lygo, ITV’s Managing Director of Media and Entertainment, previously set out the intent behind the revised commissioning pattern as viewer-led and focused on shorter, streaming-friendly episodes. Emmerdale star Chris Bisson had earlier described the move to the new pattern as clarifying broadcast times for viewers, but the early week disruption shows the new routine can still be interrupted by live sport.
What If Itv’s ‘power hour’ keeps getting shifted?
Three plausible near-term scenarios for the soap schedule and viewer reaction:
- Best case: Disruptions remain occasional and predictable. Live sport that pre-empts the 8pm–9pm block is scheduled in advance and soaps return to their new daily rhythm on the following scheduled weekday, limiting audience frustration.
- Most likely: High-profile sporting fixtures cause intermittent displacement of the soaps, prompting repeated short-term schedule adjustments and a steady stream of viewer complaints. The broadcaster leans on its streaming platform as an alternate archive for missed episodes.
- Most challenging: Frequent clashes with live sport erode appointment viewing for the soaps. Viewer trust in the regular evening routine weakens, driving some regular viewers away and increasing pressure on planners to find a less disruptive long-term slot.
What should viewers and planners do next?
For viewers: check the schedule for the coming week and note that tonight’s instalments have been moved to Monday at 8pm ET (Emmerdale) and 8. 30pm ET (Coronation Street). Expect further ad hoc moves when major live sporting events are scheduled, and use on-demand access where available to keep up with storylines.
For programmers and rights planners: balance the value of live sports coverage against the predictability audiences expect from serial drama. Maintain clear, advance communication of planned pre-emptions and consider making missed episodes prominent and easy to find on catch-up platforms to reduce friction for viewers.
Honest limits remain: live event schedules and short-notice changes are inherent to broadcast planning. The immediate takeaway is that the early test of the new “soap power hour” is already encountering the live-sport reality that Kevin Lygo framed as a viewer-led commissioning choice, and viewers should anticipate similar adjustments during major fixtures. The final practical note for audiences and planners alike is simple: expect change and plan around it, itv
