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ITV boss affirms future of Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Love Island and more amid Sky takeover plans

The future looks bright for Coronation Street, Emmerdale and more.

Carla and Lisa Connor-Swain stood in their white wedding outfits against a neutral deep blue background in key art for Coronation Street

ITV

Published: Wednesday, 26 August 2026 at 1:40 pm

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ITV has made clear its commitment to some of its key titles amid Sky’s takeover plans.

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The channel has reached an agreement with Sky to buy ITV's media and streaming operations for £1.6 billion in a major shake-up for the industry.

Speaking at Edinburgh TV Festival 2026, ITV’s managing director Kevin Lygo affirmed the future of some of the key titles for the network amid the huge changes for them.

Referring to the likes of the channel’s soaps Coronation Street and Emmerdale, Love Island and I’m a Celebrity, Lygo said: "These shows will continue."

Later, Lygo elaborated further on the importance of soaps to the channel’s future, noting the success of the scheduling choice that put the soaps in the 'power hour'.

An image depicting a nighttime scene on a road with car headlights in the distance, from left to right we see Sue Devaney as Debbie Webster in a wedding dress, Gareth Pierce in a suit as Todd Grimshaw, Alison King as Carla Connor with a bloodied forehead, Jeff Hordley as Cain Dingle, Emma Atkins as a pregnant Charity Dingle, and Oliver Farnworth as a brooding John Sugden, in a promo image for Corriedale.

The worlds of two major soaps collided in a catastrophic, life-changing one-hour special, Corriedale. ITV

"They’ve embedded now, that block at 8pm is still always the highest-viewed thing of that day," said Lygo. "It’s really important."

When asked if he can foresee further crossover events following the success of Corriedale earlier this year, Lygo noted, while open to ideas, that "It’s not something to do on an annual basis."

Ultimately, Lygo made very clear the value and future of soaps to ITV: "Long may it continue."

The takeover from Sky includes ITV’s broadcast channels and its ITVX streaming service, and concludes months of negotiations.

Julia and Lorenzo Love Island look at the camera for Radio Times' The Lowdown.

Julia and Lorenzo from Love Island look at the camera for Radio Times' The Lowdown. Radio Times

The companies said the acquisition will create a major competitor to the global streaming giants.

Crucially, the sale will not impact ITV Studios, the broadcaster's production arm behind hits such as I'm a Celebrity and Love Island.

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Dana Strong, Sky Group CEO, previously said in a statement when the agreement was confirmed: "Viewers will continue to enjoy the shows they know and love, such as Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Love Island, I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, This Morning, Loose Women, Lorraine and News at Ten – alongside major live sporting events."

The deal awaits regulatory approval.

Coronation Street and Emmerdale air weeknights at 8pm on ITV1 and from 7am on ITVX.

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Authors

Black and white cut-out portrait headshot of Lewis Knight, smiling against a lime green background.

Lewis KnightNews and Trends Editor

Lewis is the news and trends editor at Radio Times and leads our approach to news, reactive content, and serving audience demands and interests. An obsessive fan of television and film, Lewis is a Nicole Kidman fanatic with a side of passion for science-fiction, art-house cinema and the latest HBO drama. Lewis has a degree in Psychology and a Masters in Film Studies. After working in advertising, Lewis worked at The Mirror for three years in community management and SEO, showbiz, film and television reporting.

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