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MTV has shut down its iconic 24-hour music channel, bringing to an end a 44-year era that helped shape global pop culture and revolutionised how audiences consumed music.
The channel officially went off air on January 1, 2026, with its final broadcast featuring Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles — the same song that launched MTV’s first-ever transmission when it debuted in the United States in 1981.
The symbolic choice underscored the end of a platform that once defined music television and influenced generations of artists, fans and broadcasters worldwide, Tempo English reports.
The closure signals a major shift for the network and is expected to have far-reaching implications for MTV’s international operations.
Five MTV-branded music channels in the United Kingdom have already been discontinued — MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV and MTV Live.
Similar shutdowns are anticipated in several other markets, including Poland, Australia, France and Brazil, as part of a broader restructuring exercise by Paramount Global, MTV’s parent company.
While reports point to widespread closures, MTV’s U.S. management has not yet confirmed a complete list of affected international channels.
The move comes amid deep budget cuts at Paramount, driven largely by declining advertising revenue as traditional television audiences for music programming continue to shrink.
Metro reported that the downturn in viewership has made music-only channels increasingly unsustainable in a rapidly changing media landscape.
MTV’s long-standing role as a tastemaker has also been overtaken by digital platforms such as YouTube, TikTok and Spotify, which now dominate music discovery and consumption.
As a result, MTV’s flagship channel will remain on air but will focus primarily on reality television programming rather than music videos.
Despite the closures, Paramount has indicated that it is not abandoning the MTV brand entirely.
Paramount Global chief executive officer, David Ellison, is exploring ways to revive MTV and other cable properties, though no concrete plans have yet been announced.
Last September, The Wall Street Journal revealed that Ellison had sought ideas from leading figures in the music industry, including Irving Azoff and Lucian Grainge, as well as several high-profile artists.
Among the concepts discussed was a possible reinvention of MTV as a digital-first music platform capable of competing with streaming heavyweights such as Spotify and YouTube.
For now, the shutdown of MTV’s 24-hour music channel marks the end of a cultural institution that once defined an era — a reminder of how profoundly the music industry, and the way audiences engage with it, has evolved.
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