ITV boss Kevin Lygo has reiterated the commitment to Coronation Street and Emmerdale following the confirmation that Sky is set to take over the broadcaster.
Speaking at the Edinburgh TV Festival, he insisted that the soaps – alongside big hitters like Love Island and I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! – “will continue”.
He stated that the 8pm soap ‘power hour’ has been a big success for ITV, and the format is likely to stick around for the foreseeable future.
ITV
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“They’ve embedded now, that block at 8pm is still always the highest-viewed thing of that day,” Lygo said (via Radio Times).
“It’s really important. Long may it continue.”
The power hour was introduced with the Corriedale crossover episode in January – and while Lygo stated that he was open to the idea of doing more of that in the future, fans shouldn’t get too excited.
“It’s not something to do on an annual basis,” he stated.
ITV
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Under the partnership, ITV has secured a “long-term” deal to ensure the future of its biggest shows, while it won’t be going behind a paywall either.
An official previous statement read: “ITV’s channels and ITVX will remain free-to-air, with all public service broadcasting commitments continuing in full, including regional news and programming.”
Carolyn McCall, ITV CEO, also said: “I am confident that Sky will be a strong and responsible custodian of ITV, building on its heritage while investing in its future and safeguarding the qualities that make ITV so valued by viewers, advertisers and the UK’s creative industries.”
Emmerdale and Coronation Street air back-to-back from 8pm on ITV1, while episodes usually release earlier in the day on ITVX and YouTube.
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