ITV2

ITV2 is the second of five main channels run by ITV plc in the UK, the others being ITV’s 1, 3, 4 and Be. It was launched on 7th December 1998 as the first of the network’s digital channels at a time when the main television channels were broadcast on analogue only. Known for its American programming and repeats of programmes recently shown on the main ITV1 channel, it enjoyed the largest audience share after the five analogue terrestrial stations, a claim now held by its sister service ITV3.

The station was launched jointly by Granada, Carlton Communications and United News and Media (now UBM plc) as a free to air service although it is now ultimately owned by ITV plc who were formed by an effective by-out, although it was classified as a merger of Granada and Carlton in 2004.

The high ratings and presence Coronation Street enjoyed in ITV in 1998 as well as its commercial advantage to the company meant that the station was the main player as regards repeat transmissions of recently shown episodes of the programme. This also overcame the problems encountered by Granada in trying to interest the other ITV stations then in existence in showing weekend omnibuses in the style of EastEnders. Although all of the ITV stations had begun a weekend showing of that week’s instalments of Coronation Street in January 1989, one by one they lost interest with regions such as London dropping the repeats altogether at the start of 1996.

ITV2+1, a timeshift channel which shows the same output but one hour later was launched on 30th October 2006. This also showed the same Coronation Street episodes as the main channel but in the time-shifted slot.

Episode 10524/5 (31st December 2021) of Coronation Street became the final episode of the programme to be given an individual repeat when it was shown on 1st January 2022 at 5.00am. Thereafter, individual repeats were dropped though a Saturday omnibus repeat continued, moved from ITV3 without any announcement or reason given until 1st April 2023 when the final omnibus was shown comprising Episode 10912/3 (27th March 2023) to Episode 10916/7 (31st March 2023). Thereafter the repeat was quietly dropped.

ITV2 is also notable for hosting the first-time transmission of thirteen episodes of the programme in 2000 and 2001 when the usual 7.30pm timeslot on ITV1 was not available due to coverage of live football. These are the only instances in the programme’s history when the debut transmission of an episode did not take place on the main channel. ITV1 did show the episodes later on the same evening. The episodes in question were:

The same pattern was planned for Episode 5111 (12th September 2001) as ITV1 were planning to show Manchester United play Olympiacos in football's Champions League that night (Celtic v Rosenborg for viewers in Scotland). However, both matches were postponed as a mark of respect in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, resulting in Coronation Street reverting to its usual 7.30pm slot.

ITV2

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