Azernews.Az

By Alimat Aliyeva

Five MTV channels—MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV, and MTV Live—have stopped broadcasting in Europe. The closures will first affect the UK and Ireland, followed by France, Germany, Austria, Poland, and Hungary. Broadcasting will also end in Brazil and Australia, Azernews reports.

The main MTV HD channel will continue to operate in the United States, but its content will now focus primarily on reality shows and entertainment programs, rather than music videos, which are increasingly accessed online via platforms such as YouTube and TikTok.

The shutdown of the additional channels is part of ViacomCBS’s plan to reduce costs by $500 million worldwide. According to the latest figures from British rating organization BARB, MTV’s music channels still attracted modest audiences in the UK: 1.3 million viewers watched MTV Music in July, while 949,000 tuned into MTV 90s. Despite the closures, the MTV brand will remain active on social media and the Paramount+ streaming service.

MTV originally launched in the United States in 1981, quickly becoming a cultural phenomenon with its music videos and charismatic VJs. The channel premiered iconic videos such as Michael Jackson’s Thriller, broadcast Live Aid concerts in 1985, and created the MTV Video Music Awards (VMA). MTV Europe opened in 1987, and a dedicated UK channel launched in 1997, coinciding with the popularity of the “Three Lions” football anthem by David Baddiel and Frank Skinner.

By the mid-1990s, MTV had shifted much of its programming away from music videos toward non-music series, though videos remained a core part of the channel’s identity. Since 1984, MTV has celebrated achievements in music with the annual Video Music Awards. In 2011, MTV UK fully stopped showing music videos, moving most music content to affiliated channels, except for major events like the MTV European Music Awards (EMA).

The closures mark the end of an era for traditional music television, which has struggled to maintain relevance in the age of social media and streaming platforms. Yet, the MTV brand continues to thrive digitally, through online content, branded events, and its iconic awards shows, proving its ability to adapt to changing media landscapes.