MTV’s music channels are officially closing today

As announced in October, today, 31 December 2025, music channels are closing across Europe MTVthe historic television broadcaster founded in 1981 and currently controlled by Paramount Skydance. It will remain the main channel, but only broadcasts reality and other shows. After over four decades of video clips, countdowns and “I want my MTV”, with programs that have raised generations, the story ends here.

Arriving in Italy in 1997, MTV was for many a place to discover music and youth cultures. From “Video Killed the Radio Star” by the Buggles to icons such as Madonna, Nirvana, Britney Spears, Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, the channel has had a profound impact on the collective imagination and global pop culture.

Over the years, MTV’s identity has progressively transformed. “Music Television” has left room for formats general entertainment: reality, series and pop-themed shows that are pioneers of their genre. The decision to close music channels in Europe is the result of consolidated trends in media consumption in recent years: the use of video clips has migrated en masse to platforms (YouTube and TikTok above all) and on-demand streaming services. In this context, linear television is progressively losing its appeal, especially for the new generations. Paramount’s decision arises from the need to adapt to an audience that now searches for content differently.

In addition to the images and songs that have defined decades of pop culture, there remains the legacy of a visual and narrative language that he anticipated forms of storytelling very widespread today. MTV has been discovering artists, launching trends and creating global communities of fans long before the digital age. A significant chapter in global television culture is closing, one that has marked not only a medium, but the stories and emotions of those who, in front of the screen, discovered their own music.