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It’s the end of an era for those who spent treasured parts of their childhoods waiting to discover the latest music video, eager to watch the countdown charts and lapping up all the pop culture and fashion goodness MTV offered.
Entertainment giant Paramount Global has delivered the sad news that after 44 years of continuous broadcasting, a cultural institution will be permanently shut down by 31 December 2025.
The plug will be pulled on five cherished channels: MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV and MTV Live. They’ll first go down in the UK and Ireland, before switching off in France, Germany, Austria, Austria, Poland, Hungary, Australia and Brazil.
The decision comes amid aggressive cost-cutting measures from Paramount Global, as they merge with Skydance Media this year. Beyond financial realities, the move also reflects how viewing and media habits have shifted dramatically for many years now, with music fans migrating towards digital options.
Indeed, social media channels and streaming platforms represent fierce competition, and TV channels can’t compete – despite offering a sense of community that has lasted for decades, now replaced by more personalized ways of experiencing music.
The shutdown will put an end to a pop culture legacy which began in the US in 1981. Rather prophetically, the first video aired on MTV was ‘Video Killed The Radio Star’ by The Buggles.
From there, iconic pop culture moments followed: the premiere of Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ video in December 1983; David Bowie advocating for Black artists on MTV News; the pioneering reality show The Real World in the early 90s; Nirvana bringing grunge into the mainstream with the constant airing of the ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ music video; the Courtney Love vs Madonna debacle…
After the first few years of MTV, it began airing in Europe in 1987. Shows like MTV Unplugged became institutions, with the channels at their peak transforming promo videos into artistic offerings, launching music careers, allowing fashion trends to cross borders, and defining youth culture.
By the 2010s, traditional music television became outdated with the rise of social media and on-demand streaming taking over.
The MTV brand will continue through digital platforms and signature events like the VMAs and EMAs. However, on the last day of 2025, music television as generations have known it will be no more.