MTV, the first channel to broadcast music around the clock, is set to bring its iconic run to an end after 40 years in the UK, as per the latest reports. It will close down five of its channels in the UK at the end of the year. The channels could also shut down in multiple other countries.
Here’s why MTV is shutting down its music channels in the United Kingdom.
MTV shutting down five music channels in the UK, reportedly due to a shift in viewing habits
According to the reports from BBC, MTV is set to close down five channels at the end of the year, 40 years after its inception in the United Kingdom. This includes MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV, and MTV Live. All these channels will stop broadcasting on December 31, 2025.
Only MTV HD, the flagship channel, will remain active and will continue to broadcast reality series, including Naked Dating UK and Geordie Shore.
The primary reason for MTV shutting down the music channels is the complete shift in music listening and viewing habits. Since the internet became more dominant, music listeners have completely shifted base to online mediums like YouTube and Spotify. Moreover, YouTube has also become the premier destination for music videos.
This massive shift in habit has left very few who still rely on MTV for music. Moreover, with more things happening online, listeners are finding new artists through mediums like social media.
Since its launch in 1981 in the United States, MTV has become a staple across the world. It gained fame with its innovative “on demand” music, the launch of great new artists, and the culture of VJs.
Former MTV VJ Simone Angel spoke with the BBC about this. She said, “We need to support these artists and we all need to dance again and listen to music…And I know we do that online in our own little bubbles, but MTV was the place where everything came together. So it really does break my heart.”
Apart from the UK, local media reports indicate that Paramount may also shut down MTV channels in Australia, Poland, France, and Brazil.
Originally reported by Sourav Chakraborty on ComingSoon.
