Coronation Street and Emmerdale have announced another huge change to their release strategies, with episodes now available to watch on YouTube.

The respective ITV soaps release their episodes on ITVX at 7am before they air on television later in the evening, with instalments – albeit with a delay – also being available to watch on YouTube.

The previous arrangement saw episodes become available on the website a few days after their release on ITVX and airing on television, but a new change – starting from tomorrow – will see the instalments released on YouTube at the same time as the streaming service.

“Soap fans, rejoice! Starting tomorrow, full episodes will be available on YouTube from 7am — the same day they air on TV! #Corrie #Emmerdale @ITV,” read a post on X which confirmed the news.

The move comes after ITV announced that a crossover episode between Corrie and Emmerdale was in the works, with the hour-long special set to be a unique celebration of the genre.

“The distinctive worlds of Emmerdale and Coronation Street will merge for one night only in a ‘mash-up’ of our two favourite communities,” said ITV. “The producers, scriptwriters and production teams have conceived an ingenious way of linking the two universes.

“The episode will be self-contained, but the consequences of the high-stakes drama will have repercussions for both communities and see them linked forever as familiar faces depart and exciting new characters arrive into both soaps.”

It isn’t the only change happening at the soaps, with the dramas altering their scheduling in the new year. From January onwards, Emmerdale will air at 8pm every weeknight for 30 minutes, with Corrie following suit at 8.30pm in what ITV has dubbed a “soap power-hour”.

Though it means there will be more regular drama, the ‘power-hour’ has meant that each soap will lose 30 minutes of screen time per week, shifting from a six-episode to five-episode transmission pattern.