Coronation Street viewers have expressed their frustration after the long-running soap was pulled from Tuesday's schedule to make way for an EFL Cup match between Arsenal and Chelsea, with further disruption expected on Thursday due to Six Nations rugby. The changes come just weeks after ITV reduced both Coronation Street and Emmerdale from six episodes per week to five, citing budget cuts.
Fans have taken to social media to propose what they see as an obvious fix: airing a double bill on the preceding night. One Reddit user wrote: 'We're losing more and more Corrie thanks to the football. Why can't they just put a double bill on the night before? That seems to be the most obvious solution to me.' Others suggested moving the football to ITV4 or ITV2, arguing that in the age of streaming, schedule disruption is unnecessary.
The new 'soap power hour' format, introduced in January, sees Emmerdale air at 8pm and Coronation Street at 8.30pm on weeknights. However, this week's sporting events have replaced both slots entirely, leaving fans without new episodes. One viewer lamented: '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 sports days.'
ITV has defended the scheduling changes, with Managing Director Kevin Lygo stating that the new pattern is 'viewer-led' and offers more choice through ITVX, where episodes are available from 7am on the day of broadcast. Despite this, many fans remain unhappy, with one writing: 'This whole new schedule is a ploy to tear our beloved soap episodes away from us.'
Coronation Street first aired in 1960 and has seen numerous scheduling patterns over the decades, ranging from two to five weekly instalments. The current reduction to five episodes per week, combined with frequent pre-emptions for sport, has left viewers questioning how many episodes they will ultimately receive in 2026 compared to previous years.
