Sky and Virgin Media television subscribers will see a reduction in available channels starting tomorrow, with several popular music services being removed. The decision to take several MTV stations off the air, including MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV, and MTV Live, was initially announced in October. Updated TV schedules indicate that these iconic channels will cease broadcasting on December 31.
Users attempting to access upcoming programming on these platforms are now greeted with a message stating, “This channel is now closed.”
The shift towards streaming platforms like YouTube and apps such as TikTok has led to a decline in traditional TV viewership, contributing to the discontinuation of MTV channels after almost four decades of music television broadcasting. A source mentioned to The Sun that MTV has suffered from the increasing popularity of streaming services.
While MTV services in certain regions like Asia, Australia, and Latin America are also reportedly being discontinued, MTV HD will continue to be available for viewers. The channel will maintain its reality programs like Naked Dating UK and Geordie Shore.
MTV has played a significant role in shaping youth culture and launching music and television careers since its inception in 1981, revolutionizing the music industry’s consumption, marketing, and visualization.
In addition to the MTV closure, four children’s TV channels – Pop, Tiny Pop, Pop+1, and Tiny Pop+1 – are set to be permanently removed from listings by the end of the year, resulting in a total of nine channels disappearing from Sky and Virgin Media TV.
