MTV is ending an era of 24-hour music television as many of its dedicated music channels go off the air on December 31. The decision, first announced in October, impacts several channels worldwide, with the United Kingdom seeing the closure of five stations: MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV, and MTV Live. MTV Music, which began in 2011, signed off by airing “Video Killed the Radio Star” by the Buggles—the same song that marked the network’s U.S. debut in 1981.
Paramount Skydance, MTV’s parent company, is expected to extend these closures to Australia, Poland, France, and Brazil. In the United States, MTV representatives have not yet confirmed which channels will be discontinued.
Even with the shutdown of music-only channels, MTV’s main channels will continue broadcasting in the U.K. and other regions. These flagship channels focus largely on reality programming rather than music videos, reflecting the network’s shift in content strategy over the past decade.
The closures are part of cost-cutting measures following the major and sometimes controversial merger between Paramount and Skydance earlier this year. Despite these cuts, CEO David Ellison has reportedly explored ways to refresh MTV and other cable channels.
Reports from The Wall Street Journal indicate discussions with music industry leaders, including Irving Azoff, Lucian Grainge, and several high-profile artists. Plans may include turning MTV into a digital streaming platform that could compete with services like Spotify or YouTube.
Earlier in the year, Paramount also reduced programming by canceling several award shows. MTV announced that the MTV Europe Music Awards and MTV Latin America’s MIAW Awards (previously the Millennial Awards) would no longer air, reflecting a broader strategy to streamline operations.
The closures mark a significant shift for MTV, which once defined music television for a generation. The network’s influence on global music culture, from launching new artists to shaping pop trends, remains notable, even as the focus moves toward reality shows and digital content.
While dedicated music channels fade away, the legacy of MTV’s role in popularizing music videos continues to resonate.
