Overview
- In the early hours of December 31, Germany’s final curated block of videos aired and closed with Kraftwerk’s “Musique non stop,” marking the last music segment before schedules shift fully to entertainment formats.
- Paramount Skydance has taken down music-focused spinoffs including MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV, MTV Live and MTV Music, and removed the MTV music channels on Pluto TV.
- Starting January 1, 2026, MTV drops music videos entirely in favor of reality, docu-soaps and clip shows, with an MTV HD feed continuing in the U.S. focused on non-music programming.
- Former MTV chief Tom Freston says linear playlists no longer have a viable business model as audiences consume videos on demand, noting that more music videos than ever are now produced for digital platforms.
- Paramount Skydance has cut over $500 million from linear TV since 2024 and is steering marquee MTV assets such as Unplugged to Paramount+ as it seeks a stronger streaming position against major rivals.