End of an Era: MTV to Shut Down Its UK Music Channels in December After Nearly 40 Years

MTV is officially pulling the plug on five of its UK music channels — MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV, and MTV Live — on December 31, 2025, marking the end of an iconic chapter in pop culture history. The flagship MTV HD channel will remain on air, but with a focus on reality and entertainment shows such as Geordie Shore and Naked Dating UK. The move signals a major shift in how audiences consume music, with streaming platforms like YouTube and TikTok now dominating the space MTV once ruled.

The announcement, first reported by the BBC, underscores the decline of traditional music television in an age of on-demand digital access. For many fans and former VJs, the news feels bittersweet. “I’m really sad, and I’m a little bit in disbelief,” said former MTV VJ Simone Angel. “MTV was the place where everything came together… it really does break my heart.” Angel, who helped define the channel’s golden era in the 1990s, reminisced on the network’s cultural impact — from premiering Michael Jackson’s Thriller video to broadcasting Live Aid and launching the MTV Video Music Awards.

Since its UK debut in 1997, MTV provided a vital platform for artists, DJs, and presenters such as Cat Deeley, Zane Lowe, and Emma Willis. But the station gradually shifted away from music programming, with its main UK channel dropping videos entirely in 2011. That pivot reflected changing habits among younger audiences who preferred the instant gratification of online viewing. “You’ve just got to move with the times,” Angel noted. “To this day, it’s one of the most recognisable brands in the world.”

The closures are part of Paramount’s global cost-cutting strategy, estimated at $500 million, following its merger with Skydance Media. Similar shutdowns are expected in Australia, France, Poland, and Brazil. With MTV’s once-revolutionary format now fading into nostalgia, fans are left reflecting on how the brand that once “killed the radio star” now finds itself outpaced by the digital age. Still, its cultural legacy — and its role in shaping modern music television — remains undeniable.