ITV viewers who follow Emmerdale and Coronation Street should prepare for broadcasting adjustments this week as the channel prioritises a football fixture over regular programming.

These soap operas frequently get rescheduled whenever major sporting events are broadcast, and this particular week is no exception.

Here is a breakdown of the alterations and which episodes are affected by the television timetable adjustments.

Emmerdale and Coronation Street schedule modifications this week

The England against Uruguay encounter will be shown on ITV1 beginning at 7pm on Friday, March 27, with the match commencing at 7.45pm.

Due to the fixture overlapping with the regular soap opera time slots, both Emmerdale and Coronation Street have modified their standard programming.

Audiences typically watch Emmerdale from 8pm on ITV1 Monday through Friday, however the programme airing on Friday March 27 will not be shown.

Instead, viewers can anticipate a broadcast at 6pm on Sunday, March 29.

Coronation Street typically begins at 8.30pm on the same channel Monday through Friday but Friday’s instalment will not air.

The programme will, nonetheless, be broadcast on Sunday following Emmerdale, commencing at 6.30pm on ITV1.

Beyond these adjustments for the England fixture, both soap operas will follow their normal patterns for the remainder of the week.

On Reddit, viewers responded to the broadcasting alterations, questioning why the soap operas had to be displaced for football coverage.

One commenter argued that ITV should simply broadcast the football on ITV2 or ITV4 instead.

Another responder agreed and suggested that the reason for the scheduling conflict is likely contractual obligations requiring the football matches to be shown on the most prominent channel.

A further comment questioned why ITV assumes the entire country cares enough about football to justify moving and cancelling soap operas, and suggested placing the football on another channel like ITV4.

In 2025, ITV revealed modifications to its soap opera programming, encompassing Coronation Street and Emmerdale.

Commencing January 2026, the broadcaster launched a weekday soaps power hour featuring 30-minute Emmerdale episodes at 8pm alongside 30-minute Coronation Street episodes at 8.30pm.

Coronation Street previously aired three hour-long episodes weekly, whereas Emmerdale broadcast four 30-minute instalments alongside one hour-long episode.

In May 2025, ITV chief executive Dame Carolyn McCall stated that the company was making good progress on its efficiency programme, anticipating £30 million in non-content savings throughout 2025.

ITV additionally implemented modifications to its prominent daytime offerings including Good Morning Britain and Lorraine.

Commencing January of this year, Good Morning Britain received a 30-minute extension, while Lorraine Kelly’s morning programme was trimmed to 30 minutes for 30 weeks annually.

What are your thoughts regarding the programming adjustments this week? Share your views in the comments section.