ITV Skips Emmerdale for England vs Serbia Qualifier

Emmerdale viewers tuning into ITV on Thursday evening will find the popular soap opera absent from its regular slot, displaced by live coverage of England's FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier against Serbia at Wembley Stadium. The match, set for an 7:45 p.m. kickoff, has prompted ITV to adjust its schedule, with pre-game analysis beginning at 7 p.m. and extending past the soap's usual 7:30 p.m. airing time.

The broadcaster confirmed the change, noting that the football coverage will run until approximately 10:05 p.m., followed by ITV News at Ten. This marks another instance in recent months where live sports have interrupted the weekday routine for Emmerdale fans, who are accustomed to a longer, hour-long episode on Thursdays. The show, set in the fictional Yorkshire Dales village, typically airs Monday through Friday at 7:30 p.m. on ITV1 and is available early on ITVX from 7 a.m. the following day.

Fans can expect the series to resume without much delay, returning to its standard time slot on Friday, November 14, for a 30-minute installment. That episode will be followed immediately by the week's final Coronation Street at 8 p.m., running for a full hour. No early streaming option...