MTV Shuts Down 24-Hour Music Channel After 44 Years, What's Left?

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - MTV shut down its 24-hour music channel on January 1, 2026, ending a 44-year run that helped shape global pop culture.

The channel’s final broadcast featured Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles, the same song that opened MTV’s first-ever transmission when it launched in the United States in 1981.

The closure marks the end of an era for a network that once defined music television and became a worldwide cultural icon. The move is also expected to have ripple effects across MTV’s international operations.

According to Rolling Stone, five MTV-branded music channels in the United Kingdom have already been closed: MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV, and MTV Live.

Similar shutdowns are expected in several other countries, including Poland, Australia, France, and Brazil, as part of broader restructuring by Paramount Global, MTV’s parent company. However, MTV’s U.S. management has yet to confirm the full list of affected channels.

Budget Cuts and Changing Viewing Habits

The closures come amid significant budget cuts at Paramount. Metro reported that declining advertising revenue due to shrinking television audiences for music programming has forced the company to scale back its music-focused channels.

MTV’s traditional role has also been eclipsed by digital platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and Spotify, which now dominate how audiences discover and consume music. While MTV’s flagship channel will continue to operate, its programming will focus primarily on reality shows rather than music videos.

Shift Toward Digital Platforms

Despite the shutdowns, Paramount has signaled that it has not entirely abandoned the MTV brand. Rolling Stone reported that Paramount CEO David Ellison is considering ways to revive MTV and other cable channels, although concrete plans have yet to be announced.

Last September, The Wall Street Journal reported that Ellison had sought ideas from prominent figures in the music industry, including Irving Azoff and Lucian Grainge, as well as several high-profile artists.

Among the proposals discussed was a potential transformation of MTV into an online music platform capable of competing with streaming giants such as Spotify and YouTube.

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