Soap fans have been left furious by constant schedule changes during the World Cup, with Coronation Street, Emmerdale and EastEnders being moved or taken off air to make way for football matches. Millions of viewers accustomed to tuning in several times a week are now forced to wait for episodes, sparking a debate over whether soaps should be sacrificed for sport.
Fans Voice Frustration Over Disrupted Schedules
Taking to social media, one fan raged: "It does my head in that things get moved for football. We are not all fans." Another commented: "I do not understand in an age of stream everything why do soaps have to miss days? Surely boomers like me can stream."
"Please ITV can we upload episodes onto ITVX at the beginning of the week and not have this malarkey going on!" asked somebody else. "It's very stressful for people like me who are autistic and need routine."
"Can't we just miss the soaps only when England plays," another viewer suggested, as someone else admitted they were "sick" of the football. "Football should go on the sports channels because that's what it's classified as, so put it on there, you're going to get the same figures," said one person.
The History of Soap Broadcast Schedules
EastEnders, which began in 1985, started as a twice-weekly serial but has broadcast four times a week for over a decade, with viewers tuning in Monday to Thursday for stories from Albert Square. Coronation Street, the world's longest-running TV soap, began in 1960 with two episodes per week. In the early 2000s, it aired four times a week, then five in the 2010s, and six towards the end of the decade. Amid ITV budget cuts announced last year, Coronation Street was reduced to five half-hour weeknight slots, forming a "soap power hour" with Emmerdale.
Streaming Limitations Add to Frustration
While catch-up and streaming services exist, bosses only release episodes on the day of broadcast. If there is no EastEnders on a Tuesday night, fans must wait. This has led to calls for more flexible release schedules, with one viewer suggesting: "Please ITV can we upload episodes onto ITVX at the beginning of the week."
Mirror readers are now debating whether it's acceptable for soaps to be pulled off air for football. Have your say in our poll and join the conversation.
