MTV to Pull the Plug on Its Music Channels Across the UK and EU
In a move that signals the end of an era for traditional music television, MTV has announced it will shut down nearly all of its genre-specific music channels in the UK and European Union.
The channels set to go off the air on December 31, 2025, are MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV, and MTV Live. The decision extends beyond music, with the company also closing the main MTV channel, along with TeenNick, NickMusic, Comedy Central Extra, and Paramount Network in several countries, including Poland, Hungary, Germany, and Austria.
The sole survivor in the affected regions will be the primary MTV HD channel, which has long since pivoted from music videos to a schedule dominated by reality and entertainment shows.
The reason for the mass closure is a familiar one in today’s media landscape: a steep decline in viewership. Audiences, particularly younger demographics, have largely abandoned scheduled linear TV for on-demand music and short-form video content on platforms like YouTube and TikTok.
This shift marks a stark reversal for the network that once defined youth culture and music discovery. MTV, a legendary symbol of the 2000s and the home of iconic shows like “Total Request Live,” ultimately could not withstand the competition from the digital giants that now dominate how music is consumed. The shutdown of its dedicated music channels serves as a final acknowledgment that the era of appointment-based music video viewing is over.
