Coronation Street and Emmerdale will both reduce their weekly output in a permanent scheduling change next year.

ITV has announced the introduction of a new “soap power hour” which will come into effect in January 2026.

The soap shake-up will see Emmerdale air 30-minute episodes at 8pm every weekday from Monday to Friday.

Coronation Street will follow for 30 minutes at 8.30pm, also airing nightly from Monday to Friday.

The changes will mean that both soaps lose 30 minutes of screen time each week, shifting from a six-episode to five-episode transmission pattern.

Episodes will continue to drop early on ITVX before transmission on ITV1 that evening.

ITV bosses have promised that the new schedule will launch with some spectacular scenes, as both soaps air “an ambitious, never-before-seen stunt” as part of a week of special episodes.

The broadcaster has cited changing viewer habits for the decision, after internal research showed that “digestible” 30-minute episodes attracted higher audiences last year.

Kevin Lygo, ITV’s Managing Director of Media and Entertainment, commented: “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 competition 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.

“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.”

Lygo acknowledged that the reduction in output would likely lead to cutbacks for the teams working on the soaps.

He added: “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.