How your favourite BBC and ITV shows will be hit by the World Cup coverage as the soap schedules take a hammering

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The FIFA World Cup 2026 finally gets underway this week and while football fans are counting down the hours, TV and soap viewers could be in for a bit of a shock.

With matches dominating both BBC and ITV schedules over the next month, some of the nation’s biggest shows are facing disruption, schedule shake ups and even temporary disappearances from screens.

And thanks to the tournament taking place across the United States, Mexico and Canada, the time difference means prime time television is right in the firing line.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 is being held in America, Canada and Mexico which affects the UK’s evening TV schedules (Credit: Cover Images)

Many kick offs will fall between 5pm and 11pm UK time, with some matches stretching into the early hours.

So what does that mean for your favourite programmes?

FIFA World Cup 2026 sparks big changes to TV schedules

If football is not your thing, the next few weeks could require a little extra planning.

World Cup coverage begins on Thursday June 11, 2026 and runs through to Sunday July 19. With this year’s tournament the biggest in FIFA history, there will be wall to wall coverage across BBC and ITV.

The broadcasters have already confirmed which matches they will be sharing until June 28, with the remaining fixtures to be allocated later.

That means plenty of disruption for regular viewers.

One of the biggest casualties is likely to be The One Show. Its usual 7pm slot on BBC One will regularly make way for pre match coverage and live games.

Thankfully, the BBC is expected to move the programme to BBC Two whenever possible, so viewers may need to do a little channel hopping.

Question Time has been pulled off air because of the World Cup (Credit: BBC)

Question Time ‘goes off air’ for World Cup in schedule change

Another BBC favourite facing disruption is Who Do You Think You Are?, which will be taking a break after Joe Swash’s emotional episode airs.

Viewers can also expect repeats of The Repair Shop to disappear from schedules, while Question Time has been temporarily shelved altogether.

Host Fiona Bruce confirmed the news last week, telling viewers: “Question Time is coming off air for the World Cup. Yes indeed. But we will be back in September.”

Casualty and The Antiques Roadshow could also find themselves shuffled around depending on fixture schedules.

Over on ITV, weekend favourites will not escape unscathed either.

The Chase Celebrity Special, Celebrity Catchphrase and even the latest series of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? are all likely to face interruptions when matches clash with their usual slots.

At least Britain’s Got Talent has already wrapped up for another year.

But it is soap fans who may need to brace themselves for the biggest disruption of all.

How will the soaps be affected by the FIFA World Cup 2026?

The World Cup’s evening kick off times mean EastEnders, Coronation Street and Emmerdale are all facing major schedule changes.

Regular viewers will need to keep a close eye on listings as episode times are expected to move around frequently.

The soaps including Emmerdale will be hit hardest (Credit: ITV)

Fortunately, streaming services are stepping in to soften the blow.

From June 29 onwards, EastEnders fans will be able to watch an entire week’s episodes at once on BBC iPlayer every Monday while the tournament continues.

Emmerdale and Coronation Street will also face interruptions, with some episodes removed from the schedule altogether before being replaced with double bills later in the week.

Unlike the BBC, ITV is not expected to release whole weeks in advance. Instead, episodes will continue to arrive on ITVX as they are broadcast.

For viewers who like routine, it may be a frustrating few weeks.

One soap escaping the football chaos entirely is Hollyoaks, which remains safely tucked away on E4.

The One Show and Watchdog will be shuffled around a lot (Credit: BBC)

When is the FIFA World Cup 2026 Opening Ceremony

The FIFA World Cup 2026 officially kicks off on Thursday June 11 and ITV has secured coverage of the opening ceremony from Estadio Banorte in Mexico City.

The ceremony begins at 6.15pm on ITV1 and will feature performances from Shakira and Burna Boy, who will perform the official tournament song, Dai Dai.

Coverage then switches to the tournament’s opening match, Mexico v South Africa, with kick off at 8pm.

The broadcast runs until 10.35pm.

There is currently no confirmation that UK viewers will see the opening ceremonies planned for Canada and Los Angeles.

With stars including Michael Bublé and Katy Perry expected to perform, many viewers will be hoping highlights find their way onto BBC, ITV or their streaming platforms.

Whether you love football or dread it taking over the schedules, one thing is certain. Television over the next five weeks is going to look very different.

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