Sky and Virgin Media TV subscribers will soon find that their channel lineup is shrinking, with several music services being removed starting tomorrow. The decision to take off various MTV stations was made public in October, and now there is only a day left to enjoy these well-known channels. The updated TV schedules indicate that MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV, and MTV Live will all stop airing on December 31.
Users trying to check the upcoming programs through the television planner are greeted with a message stating, “This channel is now closed.”
The decrease in traditional TV viewership due to the growing popularity of streaming services like YouTube and social applications such as TikTok seems to be the primary reason behind MTV’s channels discontinuation after almost four decades of music television broadcasting. According to a source interviewed by The Sun, MTV has suffered from the surge in streaming services.
Describing it as a somber day for the music industry, the source remarked that MTV, once a dominant force, now pales in comparison to its former self. Reports suggest that MTV services in certain regions like Asia, Australia, and Latin America are also facing closure.
While the music-oriented channels are being shut down, fans of MTV can still access MTV HD, which will continue to broadcast reality shows like Naked Dating UK and Geordie Shore.
MTV has played a significant role in shaping youth culture and launching music and TV careers for many decades. Since its inception in 1981, the channel revolutionized the music consumption, promotion, and visualization landscape.
The closure of MTV channels is not the only change on the horizon. Four children’s TV channels, including Pop, Tiny Pop, Pop+1, and Tiny Pop+1, are scheduled to be permanently removed from the listings by the year-end.
In total, nine channels are set to vanish from Sky and Virgin Media TV lineups.