Is MTV Shutting Down? What’s Really Happening With MTV’s Music Channels
MTV isn’t disappearing, but a major chapter is closing. In the past 24 hours, the network’s owner has moved ahead with plans to switch off five MTV-branded music video channels on December 31, 2025—a watershed moment that has fans asking whether MTV itself is shutting down. The short answer: no. The flagship MTV channel continues, but several music-only spinoffs are ending.
MTV Music Channels Shutting Down: The List and the Date
The following music video channels are slated to cease broadcasting on December 31, 2025:
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MTV Music
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MTV 80s
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MTV 90s
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Club MTV
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MTV Live
These closures notably affect the UK and Ireland markets, where the brand first built a dedicated bouquet of music feeds for different eras and genres. Other regions with similar lineups have been assessing their schedules, but the most concrete and time-specific action right now centers on the UK/Ireland feeds.
What’s Staying On Air
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MTV (flagship/HD) remains available, focusing primarily on reality/entertainment franchises rather than wall-to-wall music videos.
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U.S. MTV channels continue to air; no shutdown of the U.S. flagship has been announced.
Why MTV Is Shutting Down Music Channels
Three structural shifts explain the decision:
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Audience Migration to Digital
Music videos live—and thrive—on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram Reels, and artists’ own channels. Viewers expect instant, on-demand access, personalized discovery, and social sharing—features linear TV can’t match. -
Programming Economics
Curating 24/7 video blocks across multiple decade- or genre-specific channels is costly. As audiences move online, ad revenue fragments, making linear specialty feeds harder to justify. -
Corporate Refocus
The parent company has been streamlining linear portfolios and concentrating investment in streaming platforms and high-yield franchises. In that strategy, MTV’s reality-led flagship is a stronger economic bet than multiple low-margin music-only channels.
Is MTV “Shutting Down” Altogether?
No. The confusion stems from the brand’s history: for millions, “MTV” equals music videos. But for over a decade, the flagship leaned into reality and unscripted entertainment, while music videos were largely shifted to sister channels. With those sister channels now closing, it feels like the end of MTV—even though the brand and core channel remain.
What Viewers Can Watch Instead
Expect a re-routing of music video consumption to digital ecosystems and free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) lineups. Practically speaking:
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Artists’ official YouTube channels and label hubs remain the primary destination for premieres, curated playlists, and archives.
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Short-form platforms (TikTok/Shorts/Reels) will continue to break songs and drive challenges, remixes, and fan edits.
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Music FAST channels on connected TVs (via Pluto, Freevee, Samsung TV Plus, etc.) offer lean-back experiences that mimic old-school channel surfing—without the linear carriage costs.
What This Means for the Industry
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Promotion Playbooks Shift—Again: Labels will double down on digital premieres, creator partnerships, and data-driven targeting rather than chasing spins on linear countdowns.
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Catalog Wins: Nostalgia remains powerful; curated 80s/90s/00s playlists and documentary packages will likely proliferate on streaming, where rights can be managed flexibly.
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Brand Legacy vs. Brand Future: MTV’s logo still carries global recognition. Expect the brand to surface in live tentpoles (awards shows), event TV, and social-first activations more than in dedicated linear music loops.
Key Facts: MTV Shutting Down Music Channels
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is MTV shutting down? | No. The flagship channel continues. |
| What is shutting down? | Five music-only channels: MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV, MTV Live. |
| When? | December 31, 2025 (end of year). |
| Where first? | UK/Ireland confirmed; similar feeds elsewhere are being reviewed or adjusted market by market. |
| What replaces them? | Music videos migrate to digital/streaming; the flagship MTV remains focused on reality/entertainment. |
The Bigger Picture: End of a Linear Era
MTV’s move formalizes what viewing habits have already decided. The channel that once dictated pop culture now adapts to a world where the algorithm is the new VJ and the For You page is the new countdown show. That doesn’t erase MTV’s cultural footprint—but it does mark the end of a particular way of watching music on television. For fans, New Year’s Eve 2025 won’t just flip a calendar; it will close a 40-year loop on how music met the screen.
