ITV has confirmed that popular soaps Coronation Street and Emmerdale will move to a new scheduling pattern amid ongoing budget cuts. 

Emmerdale currently airs six episodes weekly, Monday to Friday with a double bill on Thursdays. 

Meanwhile, Coronation Street also airs six episodes per week, with two episodes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Now, only five 30-minute episodes of each show will air – a real terms cut to soap broadcast time of 17%.

Bosses will now introduce a soaps power hour from Monday to Friday with 30-minute Emmerdale episodes airing at 8pm and 30-minute Coronation Street episodes airing at 8:30pm. 

However, each episode will continue to drop at 7am on ITVX before transmission that same evening. 

ITV has confirmed that popular soaps Coronation Street and Emmerdale will move to a new scheduling pattern amid the ongoing budget cuts (The Platts’ recent home explosion)

Bosses will now introduce a soaps power hour from Monday to Friday with 30-minute Emmerdale episodes airing at 8pm and 30-minute Coronation Street episodes airing at 8:30pm

However the start of the new 2026 schedule will at least be marked in style, as both soaps embark on an ambitious, never-before-seen stunt as part of a week of special episodes.

The new schedule chimes with research insights that show 30-minute episodes attracted higher audiences in 2024, and deliver more digestible installments of continuing drama that better fits with changing viewer habits.

Coronation Street and Emmerdale are the UK’s biggest soaps with a combined weekly reach of over 8 million viewers.

Corrie was on fire this week – literally – kicking off with the mysterious blaze last night at the Platts’ house, which threatened to destroy much more than bricks and mortar.

Emmerdale will also unleash a heart-stopping storyline, filmed over a series of night shoots, centred on a fateful night that brings two limousines into danger, with one left teetering on a treacherous frozen lake.

ITV’s Managing Director of Media and Entertainment Kevin Lygo said: ‘The new commissioning pattern is viewer-led.’

‘We already give more choice than ever to viewers on how they watch us through ITVX and we want to present their favourite soap to them, in the most digestible way.’

‘In a world where there is so much compeтιтion for viewers’ time and attention, and viewing habits continue to change, we believe this is the right amount of episodes that fans can fit into their viewing schedule, to keep up to date with the shows.’

However, each episode will continue to drop at 7am on ITVX before transmission that same evening

It comes as some of the Coronation Street’s mid-ranking actors and younger stars are said to be worried they’ll be axed in a bid to save money

‘Research insights also show us that soap viewers are increasingly looking to the soaps for their pacey storytelling.’ 

‘Streaming-friendly, 30-minute episodes better provide the opportunity to meet viewer expectations for storyline pace, pay-off and resolution.’

‘Whilst viewing is growing on ITVX, we know a significant proportion of our soaps’ audience still watch us via the schedule. This new pattern is in the DNA of the soap genre – nobody else does 30-minute drama this successfully.’

‘It creates a soap power hour that’s consistent, and easy to find in the linear schedule, for the UK’s biggest soaps.’

‘This new commissioning pattern will mean five hours of soaps a week, rather than the current six.’

‘We are conscious this will have an impact for the people who work on the soaps team. We will support our colleagues in ITV Studios as they work through these changes, and will do what we can to mitigate the impact on our people.’

‘These changes are motivated by doing what we believe is best for the continuing success of these important programmes in the long term.’

‘They also create headroom in the overall programme budget for investment in programming that can help ITV grow reach in a very very compeтιтive market.’

It comes as some of the Coronation Street’s mid-ranking actors and younger stars are said to be worried they’ll be axed in a bid to save money.

Some of the younger stars are said to fear they’ll be written off the show in order to keep established stars like Bill Roache and Jack P. Shepherd on board. 

Some of the younger stars are said to fear they’ll be written off the show in order to keep established stars like Bill Roache (pictured 2018) and Jack P. Shepherd on board

Salaries on Coronation Street vary significantly with the likes of Bill said to earn £2,000 per episode while newbies usually get £400 per appearance

Read More Emmerdale star left ‘devastated’ after getting brutally AXED amid ongoing ITV budget cuts

A source said: ‘There’s a WhatsApp group which has been pinging with messages about concerns of where the axe will fall next.’

‘It’s a tough time on the soap and it’s filtering down. There is a feeling more people will be cut to save money and to keep the best-paid stars like Bill Roache and Jack P Shepherd on board.’

The insider added that cast members have also complained about the long working hours. 

They added: ‘Filming is tough. One person moaned they were ‘worked like dogs’. The days of bumper pay are gone.’

MailOnline has contacted representatives of Coronation Street for comment.

Salaries on Coronation Street vary significantly with the likes of Bill said to earn £2,000 per episode while newbies usually get £400 per appearance.

Soaring TV production costs and a collapse in advertising revenue are said to have put the future of the ITV soap in jeopardy. 

An insider claimed last month that some of the show’s well-known actors could see their scenes in the Rovers Return cut in a bid to save money.