ITV has once again disrupted the schedules of its flagship soaps, Coronation Street and Emmerdale, to accommodate football coverage, prompting an outpouring of frustration from loyal viewers. The changes, triggered by the English Football League Cup, come just weeks after the World Cup caused weeks of scheduling chaos.
Fan backlash over repeated disruptions
Margaret Warren, commenting on the Metro Soaps Facebook page, voiced her exasperation: 'Why do we have to put up with this every time?' Her sentiment was echoed by many others who feel the soaps are being sidelined for sports.
Mari Scott was particularly scathing, stating: 'It's like they don't like having regular viewers. Where else can you be a loyal customer just to be told 'oh well, footie's more important than your custom. Madness! And shame on ITV they not only have the most unreliable app ever, but they don't give a toss about their customers. Almost as bad as the BBC now.'
Schedule changes for August 2026
This week, both soaps will air from Monday, August 3, through Thursday, August 6, with no episode on Friday, August 7. Next week, episodes will run from Sunday, August 9, to Tuesday, August 11, with a break on Wednesday, August 12, before resuming on Thursday, August 13.
Barbara Gilmore complained: 'Oh no, not again, why can't they have a channel for football only not everyone wants to watch it all the time on different channels.'
Defending the football priority
However, not all viewers were upset. Susan Hall offered a pragmatic defense, explaining: 'ITV pay a premium to screen these events on prime time TV and on the main ITV channel. People pay a licence to watch more than soaps as well and before anyone pipes up it's on ITV, you have to have a licence to watch all “live” channels and streaming on BBC iPlayer.'
When suggestions arose to move football to ITV2 or ITV3, Hall countered: 'ITV2 and 3 are not premium channels and are classed as free-to-air digital channels and they have their own set programmes schedules where as ITV 1 and BBC1 and 2 aren't, and that's why BBC2 can show EastEnders etc if sport is on BBC1.'
Mixed reactions from viewers
Some fans took a more forgiving stance. Carol Mallows reasoned: 'At least they are putting it on another day.' Jane Kins agreed: 'They always catch up and put them on another time so it isn't a problem.'
Antony Didcote's response captured the common frustration: 'Football again.'
The disruption, while less severe than the World Cup's impact, still means that dedicated soap fans must adjust their viewing plans, with some episodes being shifted to weekends or skipped entirely. The EFL Cup is set to continue for several weeks, potentially leading to further schedule changes.
