Coronation Street has been pulled from the schedules for Friday night, and the episode will not be available to stream on ITVX as usual. The long-running soap, which typically airs weekday evenings alongside Emmerdale in a 'power hour' format, has been replaced by the Women's World Cup qualifier between Spain and England. The match will air on ITV1 from 7:30pm to 9pm, occupying both soap slots and displacing light entertainment shows like Breaking Dad and Alison Hammond's For The Love of Dogs.
Why Is Coronation Street Not on ITVX?
Viewers hoping to catch the episode on ITVX, where episodes are normally released at 7am on the broadcast day, will also be disappointed. Coronation Street representatives confirmed that the episode will only be released on the streaming service on Sunday morning, rather than Friday. The episode will instead air on television on Sunday at 8:30pm, following Emmerdale.
Fan Reactions to the Schedule Change
Fans have taken to social media to express their frustration. One Reddit user commented: "Yes I love the football but as a soap opera fan it's gonna piss off a lot of people... don't u think we should have a channel for the world cup not on BBC or ITV." Another wrote: "International football should remain on free to view channels and not hidden behind a pay wall like the Premier league and champions league has become." A third suggested: "The simple solution is they just air the Corrie episodes on streaming regardless if it goes out over the airwaves."
Some fans proposed returning to a double-bill format to avoid losing episodes. One said: "We're losing more and more Corrie thanks to the football. Why can't they just put a double bill on the night before?" Another added: "In the age of streaming and multiple channels I don't understand why they mess with the schedule at all. Just shift it to ITV2!"
This is not the first time football has disrupted soap schedules, and with the World Cup approaching, further changes are expected. ITV has not commented on whether future adjustments will be made to accommodate both sports and soap fans.
