ITV is dramatically slashing its soap schedule as Coronation Street and Emmerdale struggle under a cash crisis.
Corrie currently airs for three hour-long episodes a week, whilst Emmerdale is four 30 minute episodes and one hour-long.
Now just five 30-minute episodes of each show will air.
A source said: “Soaps are incredibly important to ITV and this is about preserving their longevity for the future.
“There has been a super squeeze in production costs and it was necessary to make changes but Corrie and Emmerdale both remain integral to ITV .”
They will screen a “soap power hour” as two back-to-back 30 minute episodes.
It will also air later in the day.
Insiders at the channel say it will help make both Emmerdale and Coronation Street more “streaming-friendly”.
It comes after a string of big name stars quit Coronation Street and many have called out the budget crisis which has left them struggling to make ends meet.
The new structure will launch with a huge stunt on both soaps.
A source added that ITV will still broadcast more hours of soap each week than any other channel.
Currently, Emmerdale airs six episodes per week, Monday to Friday with a double episode on Thursdays.
Coronation Street also airs six episodes per week, spread across Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, with two episodes each night.
Schedules can sometimes change due to special events or seasonal adjustments.
