KEY TAKEAWAYS
  • MTV will close five music-video channels in the UK and Ireland on 31 December 2025: MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV and MTV Live. 
  • Paramount is rolling out similar closures in parts of Europe and other regions; Australia has been named. 
  • The flagship MTV channel continues, but it’s mostly reality and entertainment, not music videos. 
  • The move reflects long-term audience decline for linear music TV as YouTube and TikTok dominate. 
  • UAE viewers should watch for carriage updates from local providers; impact depends on regional feeds and contracts. (Inference based on market pattern reported for Europe/Australia.) 

MTV isn’t disappearing, but its dedicated music-video channels are on the clock. By 31 December 2025, five MTV music channels will switch off in the UK and Ireland, with other regions following. The parent company, Paramount, is shrinking linear music TV as viewers pick phones over programme guides. Here’s what’s closing, why it’s happening now, and what it means for viewers in the UAE

What exactly is shutting down

The facts, minus the hand-waving.

  • Closing on 31 December 2025 in the UK and Ireland: MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV, MTV Live. 
  • Similar steps across Europe are planned, according to industry reporting, with the main MTV channel remaining. 
  • Australia’s MTV music channels are also being axed, confirmed locally. 

The UK switch-off is the clearest, time-boxed piece of this story. Billboard reports the date and the exact channel list. Broadband TV News summarises the Europe plan, referencing the BBC. Variety confirms the Australian cuts. Taken together, the direction is obvious: the music-only MTV feeds don’t fit the 2025 TV economy.

Why is MTV doing this

Short version: the audience left the room years ago.

  • Viewers discover and watch music videos on YouTube and TikTok, not live TV. 
  • Paramount is trimming linear networks amid broader restructuring and cost targets. 
  • Niche linear channels are expensive to run and hard to monetise without scale. 

The Guardian’s industry piece spells out the economics: music videos on linear TV don’t earn enough, and production budgets have shrunk. Paramount’s strategy is to keep brands that deliver steady reality-TV audiences and retire what doesn’t. MTV, as a brand, lives on. The 24/7 music-clip loop does not.

What stays: the main MTV channel

Don’t confuse the closures with a full network shutdown.

  • The flagship channel remains on air, focused on reality/entertainment formats. 
  • U.S. outlets stress that MTV isn’t “shutting down” in America right now, despite lots of noisy headlines. 

So yes, you’ll still find MTV the logo. Just don’t expect a Top 40 countdown after school. The programming mix shifted years ago toward shows that rate reliably and sell ads.

Impact for UAE viewers

The boring but important bit: feeds and carriage.

  • UAE pay-TV line-ups use regional or pan-regional feeds. If your package carries any of the soon-to-close European feeds, expect EPG changes around year-end 2025. (Reasoned projection.) 
  • If music videos are your thing, you’re already better off on streaming. Our OSN+ and Netflix hubs track what’s new weekly in the UAE.

Channel closures typically trigger a replace-or-remove shuffle on TV guides. Expect providers to slot in entertainment or documentary channels where music feeds used to sit. If you still like curated music blocks, many streaming apps have 24/7 genre channels that are, frankly, closer to what MTV used to feel like.

What this says about music videos in 2025

The format isn’t dead. The distribution changed.

  • Creators and labels now aim for algorithmic reach and short-form cuts, not a slot on linear TV. 
  • The audience is global by default, and premieres happen on platforms, not EPGs. 

Music videos still matter as culture and marketing. They just live where people are. And people are not waiting for top-of-the-hour blocks anymore.

Timeline and what to watch for next

Practical checkpoints, so you’re not guessing.

  • Now: UK closure plan public; trade press tracking European roll-outs. 
  • This month: Local confirmations like Australia’s appear via regional press. 
  • By 31 Dec 2025: UK switch-off. Expect EPG updates from providers around that date. 

If you see breathless “MTV is dead” posts, check the market and the channel. The reality is messier and more boring than viral tweets.

Is MTV shutting down completely?

No. The main MTV channel continues. The closure is for five music-video channels, starting with the UK and Ireland. 

Which channels are closing and when?

MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV and MTV Live in the UK/Ireland on 31 December 2025. Other regions are being wound down over time. 

What about outside Europe?

Australia’s MTV music channels are being axed, confirmed locally. The U.S. MTV network is not being shut down at this time. 

Why is this happening?

Audiences left linear music TV for streaming platforms, and the channels no longer pay their way. Paramount is trimming linear networks. 

I’m in the UAE. Will my package change?

Possibly, depending on which regional feeds your provider carries. Watch provider notices around late 2025. In the meantime, use our UAE streaming guides to keep up with new releases on OSN+, Netflix and Prime Video.