Europe MTV to Shut Down Music Channels After Nearly Four Decades, Ending an Era

The Digest:

MTV will shut down five of its UK music channels, including MTV Music, MTV 80s, and MTV 90s, on December 31, marking a symbolic end to its near-40-year run as a 24/7 music video broadcaster and confirming a historic shift in how audiences consume music.

Key Points:

• MTV will shut down five UK music channels on December 31, 2025.
• The decision reflects a major shift from traditional TV to digital platforms like YouTube.
• The network, launched in 1981, revolutionized music with video jockeys and iconic moments.
• Its first UK video in 1997 was Three Lions by David Baddiel and Frank Skinner.
• The closure is part of a global cost-cutting plan by the parent company, Paramount.
• Despite modest recent viewership, the announcement sparked a wave of nostalgia online.
• MTV will maintain its presence through social media and the Paramount+ streaming service.

This closure does not just end a broadcast signal; it silences a cultural soundtrack, marking the final fade-out for a channel that once was the pulsing heart of global youth culture.

Sources: TMZ, Rolling Stone