The flagship network will continue with reality TV
Paramount Global has officially shut down its remaining 24-hour dedicated music channels across most international markets. While the flagship MTV channel will still exist, it has shifted its focus almost entirely to reality TV and entertainment programming. The music has effectively been removed from the linear TV experience in the UK, Europe, Australia, and several other regions.
The shutdown targeted the music-only channels that fans used for round-the-clock music videos. MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV, and MTV Live went dark as of December 31, 2025.
In many regions, the final song played was “Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles—the same video that launched the original MTV in 1981.
Paramount has also axed its long-running CMT Hot 20 Countdown, which was the last original program for CMT. Longtime host Cody Alan, who had been a staple of the network since 2009, hosted the final episode alongside co-host Carissa Culiner that aired this week. The show had been on the air since January 2013, serving as the primary weekend destination for country music video premieres and chart news.
Ahead of the merger, Paramount Global canceled the CMT Music Awards to “reimagine and optimize [Paramount’s] events slate going forward.” The event was the genre’s only fan-voted awards show and recently migrated to a wider audience, airing on CBS and additional Paramount-owned networks.
With the countdown gone, CMT’s schedule is now almost entirely composed of acquired sitcoms like Reba, The Golden Girls, and Roseanne, and reality programming. Music videos have been relegated to the graveyard shift, typically airing only between 2 am and 7 am ET.
The decisions follow the Paramount-Skydance merger in 2025, as new leadership, led by David Ellison, prioritizes linear TV expenses by implementing a $500 million cost-cutting strategy to streamline the company’s global portfolio. Paramount is moving its music discovery and artist-centered content to digital platforms like YouTube and Paramount+, where it believes the younger audience is more active.