MTV Killed the Video Channels: MTV Music Channels Sign Off Forever After Nearly 45 Years

An inconvenient truth is that for most of us, the “M” in MTV has felt decorative for a long time. But knowing the music was gone is different from watching the plug on MTV music channels actually get pulled. The sign off was final and musically devastating. We’ve spent the last decade crassly joking about how the network that defined a generation turned into the 24/7 “Ridiculousness” channel.

The End of 2025 Marks the Death of MTV Music Channels 

As of December 31, 2025, the era is officially over. After almost 45 years of shaping pop culture, MTV music channels have gone dark across the U.K., Europe, Australia, and beyond. It’s a massive blow to nostalgia, marking the definitive end of linear music television. If you grew up waiting hours for your favorite video to drop on “TRL,” thrashing to “Headbangers Ball,” or zoning out to late-night blocks of “120 Minutes,” this one really, really stings.

From 1981 to the very early 90s, MTV music channels played music, shared videos, and had commentary from VJs (hello, Martha Quinn, Downtown Julie Brown, Adam Curry, and yes, even Kennedy in the 90s). Soon, that time was over, and shows like “The Real World,” “Remote Control,” and “Road Rules” graced what was formerly known as the “music” channel. To be fair, the show “Beavis and Butt-head” did actually have videos with commentary…sort of.

The Corporate Reality Behind the Shutdown

So, why now? The writing has been on the wall since the internet figured out how to stream video, but the final nail in the coffin comes courtesy of the recent Paramount-Skydance merger. As is usually the case in Hollywood, “synergy” and “cost-cutting” mean shedding assets that don’t drive immediate engagement.

While the flagship MTV network will stick around to feed us a lovely endless loop of reality shows like “Geordie Shore” and “The Challenge,” the dedicated 24-hour music stations—specifically MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV, and MTV Live—have been erased from the guide. It’s the result of expiring cable contracts and a harsh pivot toward streaming dominance. The executives might say the audience moved to TikTok and YouTube (and they aren’t wrong), but there is something tragic about seeing a cultural monolith dismantle the very thing that built it. Maybe the internet actually did kill the video star. The band The Limousines seems to think so.

How the Channels Signed Off For Good

If there is a vague silver lining here, it’s that the programmers behind the scenes understood the assignment. They didn’t just fade to black; they curated a sign-off that was equal parts poetic, ironic, and downright tear-jerking.

The flagship MTV Music channel in the U.K. ended its run with perfect symmetry by playing The Buggles’ “Video Killed the Radio Star”—the exact same video that launched MTV in America back on August 1, 1981. It’s a “full circle” moment that feels almost scripted. In 1981, it was a warning; in 2025, it’s a eulogy.

The other channels followed suit with their own farewells:

• MTV 90s went for the emotional jugular with the Spice Girls‘ 1998 ballad “Goodbye.” Hearing “Goodbye my friend / I know you’re gone / but I can still feel you here” as the screen went black? That was absolutely freakin’ brutal.
• MTV 00s opted for NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye,” offering a cheekier wave to the audience.
• MTV Live signed off with Robyn’s “Dancing On My Own,” the ultimate anthem for being alone at the end of the night.
• Club MTV (formerly MTV Dance) played Rihanna’s “Don’t Stop The Music.” The irony of stopping the music immediately after that track played isn’t lost on anyone.

Why We Are Mourning the MTV Music Channels We Stopped Watching

It’s easy to be cynical. You probably haven’t tuned into a broadcast music video block in years. But the death of these MTV music channels represents the loss of a shared monoculture.

Former VJ Simone Angel spoke to the BBC, putting it best, describing the early era of the network as a “pre-internet hub.” When a video premiered on MTV, everyone saw it. It was a communal event. Today, algorithms feed us content in isolated bubbles. You watch what you like; your friends watch what they like. We rarely watch the same thing at the same time anymore.

There was a magic to the curation—the discovery of a band because you were too lazy to find the remote. That passive music discovery is gone, replaced by active searching…and, like it or not, predictive AI.

The Future of the Brand

Paramount CEO David Ellison has been making noise about “revitalizing” the brand, potentially through streaming avenues to rival Spotify or YouTube. But in reality, you can buy the logo, but you can’t buy the vibe.

The sign-off of these MTV music channels is the final confirmation that the party is over. The lights have turned on, the music has stopped, and we’re all just standing around waiting for our Uber. Thanks for the memories, MTV. It was a great run while it lasted.