Overview
- Five music-only feeds — MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV and MTV Live — ceased broadcasting around Dec. 31 in markets including the UK, Germany, France, Ireland, Poland, Austria, Brazil and Australia.
- Some final sign-offs aired The Buggles’ “Video Killed the Radio Star,” echoing MTV’s 1981 launch clip.
- Paramount told Variety that MTV’s main U.S. channel continues to operate and that the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards will go ahead.
- The company linked the closures to cost-cutting and a strategic shift following the Paramount Global–Skydance deal reported at roughly $8.4 billion.
- Executives and analysts cited the long-term audience move to YouTube, TikTok and streaming, and a years-long pivot on MTV’s core channel toward reality and entertainment programming.