Soap fix From 7AM!
From Monday 14 October, the latest episodes of Coronation Street andEmmerdale will be live on ITVX from 7am each morning, ahead of theirbroadcast on ITV1 that evening, as part of ITV’s strategy to offer our viewersultimate choice in how they watch our programmes.
The new 7am ‘soap drop’ coincides with the launch of a new Soap destinationon ITVX, with a treasure trove of content sitting alongside all the latestepisodes, now made available ahead of their ITV1 transmission.
The new Soap page on ITVX will include dedicated rails for Classic CoronationStreet and Classic Emmerdale, as well as a rail of “Greatest Episodes” and a“Stars of the Soaps” collection too, with dramas like Tina and Bobby (starringMichelle Keegan), Maryland (starring Suranne Jones) and The Long Shadow(starring Katherine Kelly), and more besides. The Top Picks rail in the Soapsdestination page will also include Nolly, the biopic by Russell T Davies of thesoap queen Noele Gordon, starring Helena Bonham Carter as the star of ITV’siconic daytime soap Crossroads. Viewers can stream memorable episodes ofCrossroads too. Look out for your favourite soap stars introducing classicepisodes and picking their ITVX favourites.
The move follows Soap viewing growing significantly on ITVX in 2024, withboth Emmerdale and Coronation Street up around 30%. Both CoronationStreet and Emmerdale are in the top 5 shows for streaming hours on ITVX, andcombined they have brought in nearly 300 million streams this year alone.
Craig Morris, Managing Editor of ITV Channels and ITVX said:“The positive response when we made the soaps available at 7am during TheEuros and the Olympics this year shows that audiences want to choose when towatch their favourite Soap, and the new dedicated destination on ITVX is afitting home for the Nation’s biggest and best continuing dramas. Now you canchoose when to enjoy your daily dose of drama - whether during the morningcommute, over lunch or at a time that suits you each evening.”
This week Emmerdale marks 30 years of the Dingles, and sees the soap’slargest family devastated to learn that their patriarch, Zak, has passed away.It’s a sad day for the family and the Village at large, but despite the tragedy,the Dingle family are doing what they do best, pulling together. HeartbrokenCain, Sam and Belle reminisce about their dear father and the villagers paytribute to him.
Events on Coronation Street take a sinister twist as DS Lisa Swain, DC Kit Greenand PC Craig Tinker continue to investigate the whereabouts of Joel Deering. Abody has been found in the canal. Could Joel have met a grisly end? Dee-Deeand Lauren are left reeling from the news that he’s been murdered, but whatmore are the Police about to discover?
Iain MacLeod, Executive Producer for Continuing Drama at ITV said:“This is great news for soap fans! Having the ability to catch your favouriteshow at a time that suits you fits perfectly with people’s busy days and flexiblelives. And who doesn’t love the idea of watching the latest Dingle drama in theDales or calamity on the Cobbles on the tram to work, or over a brew afterdropping the kids at school! As a soap nerd, I should also say that the new soappage is an absolute treat. It’s a one-stop shop for fans of Coronation Street andEmmerdale and it will now be so easy to enjoy your favourite shows, and delveinto their illustrious histories and beyond.”