After several decades on the air, MTV is officially shutting down multiple channels in the UK this week. MTV originally launched as a cable television channel in 1981, famously airing the music video version of “Video Killed the Radio Star.” Since then, they’ve combined their music programming with more television-centric offerings.
MTV’s main channel has multiple musical offshoots, all of which emphasize different themes and genres. In addition to its musical focus, the network attained further notoriety throughout the 21st century for TV programming such as Jersey Shore, Jackass, and RuPaul’s Drag Race. However, after more than 40 years, MTV is signaling the end of an era.
According to Syracuse.com, five of MTV’s music channels will be shutting down this week in the UK. This includes MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV, and MTV Live. All of these channels will stop broadcasting after December 31, 2025.
Currently, it’s not yet known whether the UK stoppage will lead to a global end to these themed channels, such as in the United States. In addition to the UK, there are already a few regions that have reportedly seen the closure of these MTV channels, such as Austria, Poland, and France.
Though five of MTV’s music channels are shutting down after New Year’s Eve, the network’s flagship channel, MTV HD, will still air in the UK.
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Paramount Skydance pulling the plug on these channels comes during a uniquely noteworthy time for MTV and its parent company. September saw MTV’s show Catfish: The TV Show end its run after nine seasons, with the announcement that Ridiculousness was canceled after 46 seasons following in October.
The latest cancellations and shutdowns have coincided with the recent merger between MTV’s parent company, Paramount, and the David Ellison-roune3e Skydance Media. Ellison now leads the newly-coined Paramount Skydance, which continues to make waves in headlines as the company vies to uproot Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery’s monumental merger.
With this new leadership structure for its parent company inevitably comes new decisions, and MTV appears to be more quickly feeling the effects. MTV’s channels have been around for four decades, so nixing them represents a major change of tide. As Paramount Skydance continues to reform, more structural changes could be made to MTV beyond its new channel shutdown.
Though further shutdowns of MTV’s music channels outside the UK remain to be seen in the new year, this move appears to signal a larger shift for the iconic network and industry. Long before Paramount’s recent merger, the modern music climate has drastically changed in regard to how music videos and content are consumed.
Audiences widely turn to platforms like YouTube or Spotify for their music content and streaming, including both short and long form videos. Fewer and fewer at-home viewers even have cable. This puts MTV in a challenging spot, and one that they have clearly had to reckon with, as they enter their new era.
- Callsign
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MTV
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Satellite