Coronation Street and Emmerdale Face Two Nights of ITV Disruption as Football and Rugby Take Over

Coronation Street and Emmerdale viewers could face two consecutive evenings without their favourite soaps in November, with ITV1 scheduled to broadcast major international football and rugby fixtures on Thursday 12 and Friday 13 November 2026.

Both sporting events are listed for live coverage during the soaps' regular evening slots, raising questions about when the affected episodes will be shown. Although ITV has not yet confirmed any changes to its soap schedule, the matches are expected to occupy much of the evening on both dates.

England and Croatia Meet in Nations League Clash

The first potential disruption comes on Thursday 12 November, when England welcome Croatia to Wembley Stadium for their UEFA Nations League Group A3 encounter, with kick-off scheduled for 7.45pm GMT.

The match is listed for live coverage on ITV1 and STV, while viewers will also be able to follow the action through ITVX and STV Player. England will be looking for an important result as they continue their Nations League campaign before travelling to Spain for another group fixture on Sunday 15 November.

England and Croatia have developed a notable international rivalry over recent years, particularly following Croatia's dramatic victory in the 2018 World Cup semi-final, which ended England's hopes of reaching the final in Russia.

The 7.45pm kick-off means the match will be taking place when Emmerdale would normally begin at 8pm, with Coronation Street following at 8.30pm. As live football coverage typically includes pre-match build-up, half-time analysis and post-match reaction, both programmes face potential displacement from their usual ITV1 slots.

France and South Africa Bring Rugby to Friday Night

The following evening, Friday 13 November, ITV1 is scheduled to show France taking on South Africa in the Rugby Nations Championship, with kick-off set for 8.10pm GMT at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, near Paris.

The match forms part of the fifth round of the Nations Championship, bringing together two of international rugby's strongest teams in what promises to be a competitive encounter in front of a passionate French crowd.

South Africa head into the fixture as reigning Rugby World Cup champions, having defeated France 29-28 in a thrilling quarter-final at the 2023 tournament. Their most recent encounter also ended in a Springboks victory, with South Africa winning 32-17 at the Stade de France in November 2025.

France will therefore be hoping to turn the tables on home soil, while South Africa will be looking to continue their successful recent record against their European opponents.

With kick-off scheduled for 8.10pm UK time, the rugby is set to overlap with the regular broadcast slots for both ITV soaps. The match and its surrounding coverage could leave Friday evening without Emmerdale or Coronation Street in their usual positions.

When Will Coronation Street and Emmerdale Be Shown?

ITV introduced a new weekday schedule for its two long-running soaps in January 2026, with Emmerdale moving to 8pm and Coronation Street following at 8.30pm, giving viewers an hour of soap drama each weekday evening.

The football and rugby fixtures now raise the possibility of four episodes being affected across Thursday 12 and Friday 13 November, although ITV has not officially confirmed whether either soap will be taken off air on those dates.

The broadcaster could choose to move affected episodes to alternative evenings or make other adjustments to its listings, but no revised arrangements have been announced at this stage.

Viewers should keep an eye on ITV's official channels, ITVX and television listings closer to the dates for full confirmation of any schedule alterations, including details of when Coronation Street and Emmerdale will next be shown.

SoapLandTV will provide further updates as ITV confirms its broadcasting arrangements for both evenings.