Coronation Street currently airs for three hour-long episodes a week, while Emmerdale is four 30-minute episodes and one hour-long instalment. From January 2026, there will be a “soaps power hour” on weekdays with 30-minute Emmerdale episodes at 8pm and 30-minute Coronation Street episodes at 8.30pm.
Episodes will continue to be released at 7am on ITVX before airing on ITV later that evening. ITV boss Kevin Lygo said the change is “viewer-led” and will make the soaps more “streaming-friendly”. The managing director of media and entertainment at ITV added: “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.” He said the “soap power hour” will also make things “consistent” and “easy to find in the linear schedule” for viewers.
However, Lygo acknowledged that the content being cut back from the current six hours a week to five 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 w.
