Soap fans may be disappointed as Emmerdale will not air on ITV tonight (Tuesday) as planned.
The newest episode of the long-running ITV soap has been postponed, and will instead air tomorrow (Wednesday, September 7). Emmerdale is usually broadcast each weekday at 7.30pm, but there has been a schedule shakeup.
Instead of Emmerdale, ITV will air live coverage as England Women take on Luxembourg Women in the Group D qualifier for the Womens' Football World Cup.
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The football will be broadcast from 7.30pm-10pm, with analysis from Ian Wright and Karen Carney and commentary by Seb Hutchinson and Emma Hayes. England Women won by a huge ten goals to nil in the reverse fixture last September, and will be expecting to end their qualifying campaign in style as they play in front of their own fans for the first time since winning Euro 2022.
Emmerdale, and other soaps such as Coronation Street, are frequently cancelled to make way for sports coverage. The reason that broadcasting channels opt to prioritise the football is simply all down to viewing figures.
The Euros final attracted an estimated 31 million viewers in the UK, which is enormous compared to the half of dozen million currently averaged by Corrie for example. Plus, ITV also airs Coronation Street and Emmerdale on its digital platform so that the episodes can be watched at any time whereas football fans risk ruining knowing what the score is unless a match is watched live.
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