MTV UK: Five remaining channels to be axed as part of cost-cutting measures
MTV’s recent merger means several UK channels will no longer appear on your EPG from December 31, according to reports.
- Reports have claimed that MTV UK are set to close down no less than five of its channels this year.
- The report claims that the channels affected include MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, and Club MTV
- The move comes as earlier this year, MTV closed down their UK productions after the recent merger between Skydance Media and Paramount.
MTV is set to shut down all five of its remaining UK television channels by the end of 2025, with a scheduled broadcast end reportedly due on December 31.
The news, first reported by The Sun, comes after MTV’s parent company, Paramount Global, finalised a deal with Skydance Media, with plans initially seeing all UK productions closing down; now, the move has been made to close five of the remaining channels available to viewers - MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV and Live HD.
However, MTV’s flagship channel, which airs predominantly US reality shows, will remain on air.
The channel, which launched on satellite TV in the 1990s initially as MTV Europe before becoming MTV UK, has been one of several broadcasters that have struggled to maintain a viewership owing to the rise of streaming platforms, with music videos freely available to watch on YouTube and even social media channels such as TikTok in recent years. The UK isn’t the only territory to see channels disappear from viewers’ EPG.
The cuts are also set to affect regions such as Australia, Latin America and Asia, with a source reporting to The Sun that “It’s a dark day for the music industry. MTV was once an industry powerhouse, but now it is a total shell of its former self. All channels bar the main MTV station are being axed — but even that only airs reality TV shows like Geordie Shore.“
The merger between Skydance Media and Paramount Global was finalised on August 7, 2025, creating a new entity called Paramount, a Skydance Corporation (PSKY). The deal, valued at $8 billion, marks the end of the Redstone family's long-standing control over the media empire.
CEO of Skydance Media, David Ellison, said that the vision for the new company is to blend "the creative heart of Hollywood with the innovative spirit of Silicon Valley," with the merger expected to help address Paramount's debt, enhance content creation capabilities, and streamline operations.
When The Sun reached out to gather a comment from MTV, they told the publication they had no comment about the matter.
Wondering who got their break presenting on MTV UK during its heyday? Check out our gallery of household names who cut their teeth during the halcyon days of the channel back in the ‘90s and early ‘00s.