MTV to Discontinue Five Music Channels by Year’s End

MTV is phasing out five of its music-focused channels – MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV, and MTV Live – by December 31, 2025, marking a significant shift away from the network’s origins as a 24/7 music video platform.

Paramount Global announced the closures yesterday, October 12, 2025, citing changing viewing habits and a company-wide cost-reduction strategy. The affected channels will initially cease broadcasting in the United Kingdom and Ireland before expanding to continental Europe, Australia, Poland, France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Brazil. MTV Music drew 1.3 million viewers in July 2025, while MTV 90s attracted 949,000, demonstrating a decline in viewership over the past decade.

The decision reflects a broader trend in the music industry, as audiences increasingly turn to streaming services like Spotify and video-sharing platforms like YouTube for music discovery. “I am really sad, and I’m a little bit in disbelief,” said former MTV VJ Simone Angel. “MTV was the place where everything came together. So it really does break my heart.” The main MTV channel will continue to operate, but will primarily focus on reality programming, such as Catfish and The Challenge, as detailed in our previous coverage of MTV’s programming changes.

Paramount Global is aiming for $500 million in global cost reductions following its merger with Skydance Media. The company stated that MTV will maintain a presence through social media and its Paramount+ streaming service, adapting to the evolving digital landscape.