{"id":75224,"date":"2025-10-13T07:45:07","date_gmt":"2025-10-13T07:45:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/75224\/"},"modified":"2025-10-13T07:45:07","modified_gmt":"2025-10-13T07:45:07","slug":"mtv-to-shut-down-music-channels-why-the-network-is-closing-its-iconic-music-channels-world-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/75224\/","title":{"rendered":"MTV to shut down music channels: Why the network is closing its iconic music channels | World News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <img src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/mtv-to-shut-down-music-channels-why-the-network-is-closing-its-iconic-music-channels.jpg\" alt=\"MTV to shut down music channels: Why the network is closing its iconic music channels\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\"\/> After more than four decades of shaping music and youth culture, MTV is preparing to bid farewell to five of its iconic music channels. On 12 October 2025, Paramount Global announced that MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV, and MTV Live will permanently cease broadcasting by 31 December 2025. For generations of fans, these channels were the go-to destinations for music videos, live performances, and throwback hits, defining how people experienced pop culture, fashion, and entertainment. The closures mark the end of a defining era for music television, leaving only the main MTV channel, now focused primarily on reality programming such as Catfish and The Challenge.<\/p>\n<p>MTV channels that are closing<\/p>\n<p>The five channels that will stop broadcasting globally include:MTV Music \u2013 the flagship destination for music videosMTV 80s \u2013 retro hits and nostalgic favouritesMTV 90s \u2013 alternative rock and pop classicsClub MTV \u2013 dance music and electronic beatsMTV Live \u2013 live performances and concert coverageWhile the main MTV channel will remain on air, its programming now focuses mainly on reality shows rather than music content.The closures will first affect the United Kingdom and Ireland, followed by similar shutdowns across continental Europe and other international markets. Countries expected to lose these MTV music channels include Australia, Poland, France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Brazil.<\/p>\n<p>Reasons behind the shutdown of MTV music channels<\/p>\n<p>Changing viewing habits: Audiences now prefer platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and Spotify for music discovery and videos, reducing the demand for traditional music television.Corporate cost-cutting: Paramount Global\u2019s merger with Skydance Media earlier in 2025 accelerated the closures as part of an aggressive $500 million global cost-reduction strategy.Declining viewership: Despite modest audiences, with MTV Music drawing 1.3 million viewers in July 2025 and MTV 90s attracting 949,000, traditional music television has steadily declined over the past decade. The channels now attract only a fraction of the audiences they commanded in the 1990s and 2000s, making them financially unsustainable under Paramount\u2019s new focus on its Paramount+ streaming service.This decision signals the final chapter of MTV\u2019s transformation since its 1981 launch as a 24-hour music video channel. Over the years, MTV has shifted its focus from music programming to reality shows, leaving these dedicated music channels as the last remnants of its original identity. Former MTV VJ Simone Angel expressed her sadness, stating: \u201cI am really sad, and I\u2019m a little bit in disbelief. MTV was the place where everything came together. So it really does break my heart.\u201dWhile the dedicated music channels will disappear, MTV will maintain its presence through social media platforms and Paramount\u2019s streaming service, Paramount+. This allows the brand to remain relevant in the digital age while adapting to changing audience preferences.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"After more than four decades of shaping music and youth culture, MTV is preparing to bid farewell to&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":75225,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[156,58899,10940,58896,58897,111,139,69,58898,58900,18609,437,58901],"class_list":{"0":"post-75224","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tv","8":"tag-entertainment","9":"tag-iconic-music-channels","10":"tag-mtv","11":"tag-mtv-shutdown","12":"tag-music-channels","13":"tag-new-zealand","14":"tag-newzealand","15":"tag-nz","16":"tag-paramount-global","17":"tag-skydance-media","18":"tag-spotify","19":"tag-tv","20":"tag-viewing-habits"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75224","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=75224"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75224\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/75225"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=75224"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=75224"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=75224"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}