By Alimat Aliyeva

Five MTV channels—MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV, and MTV
Live—have stopped broadcasting in Europe. The closures will first
affect the UK and Ireland, followed by France, Germany, Austria,
Poland, and Hungary. Broadcasting will also end in Brazil and
Australia, Azernews reports.

The main MTV HD channel will continue to operate in the United
States, but its content will now focus primarily on reality shows
and entertainment programs, rather than music videos, which are
increasingly accessed online via platforms such as YouTube and
TikTok.

The shutdown of the additional channels is part of ViacomCBS’s
plan to reduce costs by $500 million worldwide. According to the
latest figures from British rating organization BARB, MTV’s music
channels still attracted modest audiences in the UK: 1.3 million
viewers watched MTV Music in July, while 949,000 tuned into MTV
90s. Despite the closures, the MTV brand will remain active on
social media and the Paramount+ streaming service.

MTV originally launched in the United States in 1981, quickly
becoming a cultural phenomenon with its music videos and
charismatic VJs. The channel premiered iconic videos such as
Michael Jackson’s Thriller, broadcast Live Aid concerts in 1985,
and created the MTV Video Music Awards (VMA). MTV Europe opened in
1987, and a dedicated UK channel launched in 1997, coinciding with
the popularity of the “Three Lions” football anthem by David
Baddiel and Frank Skinner.

By the mid-1990s, MTV had shifted much of its programming away
from music videos toward non-music series, though videos remained a
core part of the channel’s identity. Since 1984, MTV has celebrated
achievements in music with the annual Video Music Awards. In 2011,
MTV UK fully stopped showing music videos, moving most music
content to affiliated channels, except for major events like the
MTV European Music Awards (EMA).

The closures mark the end of an era for traditional music
television, which has struggled to maintain relevance in the age of
social media and streaming platforms. Yet, the MTV brand continues
to thrive digitally, through online content, branded events, and
its iconic awards shows, proving its ability to adapt to changing
media landscapes.