Coronation Street fans are expressing outrage after the soap was cancelled again to make way for ITV's coverage of the 2022 Emirates FA Cup. The Friday night clash between Manchester United and Middlesbrough, airing from 7.30pm, replaces the usual hour-long double episode of the Manchester-based soap.
To compensate, ITV will air a special hour-long episode on Tuesday, but many viewers remain frustrated. This is not the first time Coronation Street, along with Emmerdale and EastEnders, has been disrupted by football coverage, a recurring issue that sparks complaints on social media.
One fan tweeted: 'Why is Corrie always the programme to be cancelled? Sport always seems to come before drama. So annoyed.' Another added: 'Noooo! I was so looking forward to tonight's episode. RAGING.'
The disruption extends beyond this week, with the 2022 World Cup in Qatar expected to cause further schedule changes later this year. Soap fans often question why football cannot be moved to a dedicated sports channel, but ITV prioritises live football due to its high viewership—the Euros final attracted 31 million UK viewers, dwarfing soap audiences.
During major sporting events, broadcasters have experimented with making soap episodes available on streaming platforms. During the Euros, EastEnders, Coronation Street, and Emmerdale released a week's worth of episodes on BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub on Mondays, a model that could become more common.
