Crystal Dike
MTV to shut music channels in December as Paramount Global prepares to switch off several of its dedicated music television networks across the UK, Europe and other international markets at the end of 2025, marking what many have described as the “end of an era.”
MTV Music, MTV Hits and the network’s 80s and 90s-themed music channels will cease broadcasting in the United Kingdom and several European countries in the coming months, according to sources at Paramount who confirmed the development to AFP. The shutdown is also expected to affect France, Germany, Poland, Australia and Brazil by December 2025, international media reports said.
Launched in 1981, MTV revolutionised global pop culture as the world’s first television channel dedicated entirely to music videos. Its debut broadcast on August 1, 1981, famously featured “Video Killed the Radio Star,” a symbolic moment that ushered in a new era of visual music storytelling and transformed how audiences consumed music.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, MTV expanded worldwide, shaping youth culture through heavy music rotation, celebrity interviews, reality programming and global award shows. The brand later diversified into multiple sub-channels, including MTV Hits, MTV Music and retro stations celebrating music from the 80s and 90s.
However, the rise of digital platforms such as YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music and short-form video apps like TikTok steadily eroded the relevance of traditional music television. Over the past decade, MTV increasingly shifted its focus toward reality programmes, while its music-only channels struggled with declining viewership and advertising revenue.
Paramount’s decision to shut down MTV’s remaining international music channels represents the most significant contraction of the network since its launch in 1981, underscoring the steady transition of global audiences from linear television to digital, on-demand platforms.