MTV closes music channels across UK and EU after December 31

Paramount will close five music television channels across the UK and European Union on December 31, 2025, marking the end of nearly four decades of dedicated music video broadcasting in these markets. MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV, and MTV Live will cease operations while the main MTV HD channel, which broadcasts reality and entertainment programming, will continue.

The closures announced on October 11, 2025, extend beyond the UK to include Poland, Hungary, Germany, and Austria. In these markets, the company will also discontinue MTV, TeenNick, NickMusic, Comedy Central Extra, and Paramount Network. MTV HD, the flagship channel that transitioned away from music content over a decade ago, remains unaffected by the shutdown.

Audience migration drives closure

Traditional music television faces declining relevance as viewing patterns shift toward digital platforms. Audiences have largely migrated to YouTube and TikTok for music video consumption, eliminating the need for scheduled programming on linear television channels. This transition reflects broader changes in how viewers discover and consume music content in 2025.

MTV Europe launched in 1987, providing a single feed across multiple countries. The UK received a dedicated channel in 1997, launching with the video for David Baddiel and Frank Skinner's football anthem "Three Lions." The UK-specific channel gave early career breaks to presenters including Cat Deeley, Zane Lowe, and Emma Willis. The channels closing on December 31, 2025, have operated for nearly three decades in the UK market.

Former MTV VJ Simone Angel, who worked for both MTV Europe and MTV UK in the 1990s, described the closure as heartbreaking. "We need to support these artists and we all need to dance again and listen to music," she stated. "MTV was the place where everything came together."

MTV launched in the United States in 1981. The channel captured public attention by showing music videos "on demand," presented by video jockeys who became recognizable figures. Early programming milestones included the world premiere of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video and a 16-hour broadcast of the Live Aid concerts in 1985.

Reality programming replaces music content

The main MTV UK channel abandoned music video programming in 2011, transferring all music content to sister stations. Programming decisions favored reality series over music content as the network pursued higher ratings and broader demographic reach. MTV HD now broadcasts shows including "Naked Dating UK" and "Geordie Shore" while the music-focused channels maintained dedicated video programming until this closure.

Streaming platforms have demonstrated superior efficiency compared to traditional television in recent measurement studies. Connected TV demonstrates superior efficiency after 23-day campaign periods and delivers 8.5% higher attention rates for original content compared to linear programming. These metrics favor digital distribution over scheduled broadcast television.

According to Mark Savage, Music Correspondent, MTV's decision reflects shifting viewing habits as music videos are largely consumed on YouTube and social media rather than television. A spokesman for Paramount declined to comment on the closures when contacted by media outlets.

The affected channels maintained modest but consistent audiences through July 2025. MTV music attracted 1.3 million viewers in the UK, while MTV 90s drew 949,000 viewers, according to ratings from Barb. These audience numbers remain substantially lower than peak viewership from previous decades when MTV served as the primary distribution channel for music videos.

Broader industry consolidation

Paramount plans to close MTV music channels in Australia, Poland, France, and Brazil, according to media reports in those countries. The closures form part of cost-cutting measures targeting $500 million across the company's global portfolio. The company closed Paramount Television Studios in August 2025, which had produced series including "Jack Ryan" and "The Spiderwick Chronicles."

Layoffs affected MTV productions in the UK, where original shows "Gonzo" and "Fresh Out UK" were cancelled. The company put the MTV European Music Awards on pause earlier in 2025 while pursuing a merger with entertainment company Skydance Media. The deal received approval in July 2025, but no decision has been made about future EMA ceremonies.

Recent disputes between Paramount and YouTube resulted in millions of subscribers losing access to major television networks starting February 13, 2025. The conflict impacted access to CBS, MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, and BET through YouTube TV and YouTube's Primetime Channels feature.

MTV will maintain a presence through social media platforms and Paramount's streaming service Paramount+. The brand continues to produce the MTV Video Music Awards, though the European ceremony remains suspended. Social media channels allow the company to distribute content without maintaining dedicated television broadcast infrastructure.

Angel recounted that former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev told the head of MTV that the channel influenced young people in Communist countries behind the Iron Curtain during the 1980s. "He said, 'Music achieved more than missiles,' because MTV Europe was the first channel that showed what Western life was like," she explained. "MTV Europe was really the forerunner to the internet. We had between 100 and 150 million viewers."

Marketing implications

Streaming platforms continue gaining market share from traditional broadcasters. Video streaming overtook traditional television viewing in Germany for the first time in September 2024, with 87% of Germans aged 16 and above now streaming content compared to 86% watching broadcast television. This milestone validated projections that Connected TV's media budget share would double from 14% in 2023 to 28% in 2025.

The closure eliminates advertising inventory from traditional music television channels while YouTube launches specialized activation partners programs to support advertisers. Four vetted companies joined the YouTube Activation Partners program on October 6, 2025, providing campaign management expertise. Channel Factory, MiQ Digital, Pixability, and Zefr received designation in the inaugural roster after vetting processes.

Nielsen launched Connected TV intelligence within Ad Intel solutions for the Australian market during Q4 2025. The enhancement provides competitive advertising spend analysis across major streaming platforms including YouTube TV, Netflix, Prime, Hulu, and Paramount. Similar measurement tools enable advertisers to track campaign performance across fragmented digital environments.

Traditional television companies are adapting structures in response to viewership shifts. Warner Bros. Discovery divided operations between linear and streaming divisions while Comcast announced plans to spin off most TV networks into a separate public company. These structural changes reflect industry-wide recognition that streaming advertising markets will surpass linear television within the next three years, according to Magnite CEO Michael Barrett.

RTL Group's digital advertising surged 27.1% in H1/2025 to €230 million while traditional television advertising declined 6.9% to €1,018 million. The Luxembourg-based media conglomerate's results demonstrate how European broadcasters are transitioning toward programmatic and streaming platforms. Digital advertising now represents 16.4% of RTL Group's total advertising revenue, up from 12.5% in H1/2024.

Advertisers previously reaching audiences through MTV's music channels must now allocate budgets toward digital platforms. YouTube, TikTok, and streaming services provide alternative inventory for music-focused campaigns. YouTube maintains its position as the leading streaming platform for music content, with nearly 96% of Spanish-language digital spending by online retailers targeting YouTube content in Q1 2025.

Music discovery patterns have fundamentally changed since MTV's peak viewership years. Platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube provide personalized recommendation algorithms rather than scheduled programming from video jockeys. Social media platforms including TikTok enable viral music discovery through user-generated content rather than curated playlists from television networks.

The closure removes a cultural touchstone for viewers who grew up with MTV as their primary source for music content. Simone Angel emphasized the platform's historical importance: "MTV Europe was the first channel that showed what Western life was like. It went past all the propaganda and we showed youth culture, and people wanted that. It was incredibly important."

Timeline

• 1981: MTV launches in the United States
• 1987: MTV Europe launches, providing single feed across multiple countries
• 1997: UK receives dedicated MTV channel, launching with "Three Lions" video
• 2000: The Spice Girls make final appearance before splitting up at MTV European Music Awards
• 2011: Main MTV UK channel abandons music video programming, transferring content to sister stations
• February 13, 2025: YouTube and Paramount fail to reach distribution agreement, removing MTV and other Paramount channels from YouTube services
• July 2025: Paramount-Skydance merger receives approval
• August 2025: Paramount Television Studios closes; MTV UK original shows cancelled
• October 6, 2025: YouTube launches Activation Partners program for advertisers
• October 11, 2025: Paramount announces closure of five music channels across UK and EU
• December 31, 2025: MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV, and MTV Live cease operations

Summary

Who: Paramount will close five MTV music channels affecting viewers across the UK, Poland, Hungary, Germany, and Austria. MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV, and MTV Live will cease broadcasting while MTV HD continues operations.

What: The company announced on October 11, 2025, that dedicated music television channels will shut down on December 31, 2025. The main MTV HD channel, which broadcasts reality programming, remains operational. Additional channels including TeenNick, NickMusic, Comedy Central Extra, and Paramount Network will also close in certain European markets.

When: The announcement occurred on October 11, 2025, with channel closures effective December 31, 2025. MTV operated music channels in the UK for nearly 30 years since the dedicated channel launched in 1997.

Where: Closures affect the UK, European Union countries including Poland, Hungary, Germany, and Austria. Similar closures are planned for Australia, France, and Brazil. The company maintains social media presence and distribution through Paramount+ streaming service.

Why: Declining interest in traditional music television drove the decision as audiences migrated to YouTube and TikTok for music video consumption. The closures form part of cost-cutting measures targeting $500 million across Paramount's global portfolio. Streaming platforms now command 55.8% of total television time among certain demographics while traditional broadcast television faces ongoing viewership declines.