Coronation Street and Emmerdale future revealed as ITV boss speaks out
ITV executives have confirmed that popular soaps Coronation Street and Emmerdale will continue to air in their current 8pm time slot. The announcement follows the acquisition of ITV by Sky, with assurances that the network will remain free-to-air.
Why it matters
This provides stability for long-running UK cultural staples and clarifies the future of public service broadcasting under new corporate ownership.
ITV boss Kevin Lygo has reiterated the commitment to Coronation Street and Emmerdale following the confirmation that Sky is set to take over the broadcaster.Speaking at the Edinburgh TV Festival, he insisted that the soaps - alongside big hitters like Love Island and I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! - "will continue". He stated that the 8pm soap 'power hour' has been a big success for ITV, and the format is likely to stick around for the foreseeable future.Related: Best streaming services UK 2026 – including Disney+, Netflix, iPlayer and Apple TV"They've embedded now, that block at 8pm is still always the highest-viewed thing of that day," Lygo said (via Radio Times)."It's really important.
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