MTV MUSIC TELEVISION (1981-2025)

A montage of graining 1980s music videos transitions into a modern television screen showing a static, rotating logo:

On 31st December 2025, an era of music television officially came to an end. At the stroke of midnight, MTV shut down several of its dedicated 24-hour music channels, leaving many millennials in a state of shock.

Clips of "Video Killed the Radio Star" and the Spice Girls' “Goodbye”

The closure was a poetic one. In its final moments, MTV Music played "Video Killed the Radio Star" by the Buggles—the same clip used when the network first debuted in 1981,. Meanwhile, MTV 90s signed off with "Goodbye" by the Spice Girls. These channels, along with MTV 80s, Club MTV, and MTV Live, have now gone dark across the UK, Ireland, Australia, and several European nations.

 While social media is abuzz with nostalgia, the truth is that MTV is not disappearing entirely,. The flagship channels, such as MTV UK and MTV HD, will continue to broadcast regularly scheduled programming, including popular franchises like The Challenge and RuPaul’s Drag Race,.

This decision, announced by parent company Paramount in October, is part of a wider strategic shift. As audience behaviour moves toward streaming and digital platforms, the network is reviewing its international Pay TV portfolio to reduce costs,. This follow’s previous downsizing, including the closure of MTV News in 2023 and the cancellation of major award shows like the MTV Europe Music Awards earlier in 2025.

For now, viewers tuning into the discontinued channels will only see a rotating image of the channel's logo. A message on the screen reminds them that while the specialist channels are gone, MTV content remains available on the main flagship station. As former DJ Daisy Fuentes noted, the world has changed, and the network must evolve with it.

Analogy for Understanding:

 Think of MTV like a massive high-street department store. While they have decided to close down their specialist boutique side-shops that only sold 80s or 90s fashion, the main flagship store remains open, selling a bit of everything to keep up with the modern trend of online shopping.