MTV is preparing to bid farewell to five of its legendary music channels. On October 12, 2025, Paramount Global announced that MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV, and MTV Live will officially go off-air on December 31, 2025 in the UK. This will bring an end to over four decades of shaping global music and youth culture.
For millions of viewers, these channels were more than just a source of entertainment. They were cultural touchstones that defined eras, introduced iconic artists, and set trends in fashion and pop culture.
It is to be noted that the flagship MTV channel will continue broadcasting, but its current lineup focuses largely on reality shows rather than music programming. While some longtime fans are heartbroken by the news, others feel the change was inevitable.
Is MTV also shutting down in India?
In India, MTV was launched in 1996. Back in the day, it was a cultural revolution. From nonstop music videos to reality shows, it defined youth trends, fashion, and slang.
In 2016, MTV Indies was replaced by MTV Beats, a 24-hour music channel. Following this launch, MTV India shifted its focus primarily to reality shows, moving away from its earlier mix of music and niche programming.
It is not known if the channel will also be shut in India.
Netizens react to MTV's shut down in European countries
Reacting to the news, an X user wrote, "This was a long time coming, right. The original flavour of MTV was lost long ago, even in India. Clearly the market for music videos vanished with the rise of streaming music. Aside from select music videos, the channel idents on MTV are still fresh in my memory. They were so creative and showcased what magic is possible even in just 10 seconds. They made the logo iconic and took potshots at their own brand: remember the one on Tusic Melivision?"
Another wrote, "The first video played on MTV was the song 'Video killed the Radio star' in 1981. The message was, now that MTV has arrived nobody will listen to Radio anymore ... 44 years later, Radio keeps reinventing itself and marches on thru FM and Streaming. MTV just announced they are shutting down. Unfortunately for MTV, Radio wasn't killed by the Video star. End of what truly was an era."
Here's how others reacted:
The shutdown of MTV's music channels will begin in the UK and Ireland, followed by Europe, Australia, Brazil, and other international markets, including Poland, France, Germany, Austria, and Hungary.
The closures stem from changing viewing habits, as audiences increasingly turn to YouTube, TikTok, and Spotify for music content, reducing demand for traditional TV.
Corporate cost-cutting also played a role, with Paramount Global's 2025 merger with Skydance Media prompting part of a $500 million global savings plan. Despite modest audiences for channels like MTV Music (1.3M) and MTV 90s (949K) in July 2025, overall viewership has declined sharply, making them financially unsustainable.
