WLIT.FM™ Exclusive: MTV to shut down five music channels by end of 2025 — what Long Islanders should know
LONG ISLAND, N.Y. — By December 31, 2025, MTV will switch off five music-focused channels—MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV, and MTV Live—as part of a broader pivot from niche linear TV to streaming. The move begins overseas and expands to additional regions, while the flagship MTV brand continues to operate with its reality/unscripted lineup. For anyone who grew up discovering songs by flipping channels, this is a genuine end-of-an-era moment—even if most music-video viewing already lives on phones and smart TVs.
What’s actually shutting down
The closures target dedicated “music video” feeds, not the main MTV entertainment channel.
Initial changes roll out internationally, then extend to other regions as distribution deals turn over.
U.S. viewers will still find flagship MTV and select sister networks on cable/satellite/streaming bundles unless providers make unrelated lineup changes.
Why MTV is making this move
Audience migration: Music discovery shifted to on-demand and social platforms. Artists premiere on YouTube/Vevo, then amplify on TikTok/Instagram with short clips that spread faster than any linear block could.
Cost and consolidation: Media companies are trimming low-audience linear channels and steering viewers into streaming apps where engagement, data, and ad models are easier to control.
Programming reality: For years, the music-only channels served as ambient background more than appointment viewing. Today, that “leave it on” use case is handled by free, ad-supported TV (FAST) streams and curated playlists.
What Long Islanders will actually notice
Less MTV music-only in global guides: If you travel or browse international EPGs, those genre channels disappear or redirect.
No immediate blackout of U.S. MTV: Domestic feeds continue; the bigger story is the long-term direction—fewer niche linear channels, more streaming tiles and branded hubs.
Music video culture is already online: Premieres, archives, and deep cuts are easier to find via search, and easier to share—one reason linear countdowns and late-night blocks faded.
Culture shift: from channel programmers to algorithms
For decades, genre channels functioned as a shared curator—you didn’t choose the next video; the channel did. The new curator is an algorithm plus your own taste:
Short-form first: Many videos are conceived alongside a 10–20 second “moment” that can live on social and feed back to the full cut.
Global from minute one: A Long Island artist’s upload sits next to a superstar’s—good news for access, tougher for discovery.
Communities moved: Fan commentary, edits, and reactions live under the video itself, not on a separate message board or recap show.
If you loved those channels, here’s how to recreate the vibe
FAST genre streams: Free services offer 24/7 80s, 90s, club/dance music video channels that mimic linear TV without a cable box.
Official playlists: Label/artist/Vevo playlists rebuild classic blocks (new + catalog) and adapt over time to your viewing.
Smart-TV set-and-forget: Pin a few playlists, enable autoplay, and you’ve essentially rebuilt MTV 80s/90s as an always-on house soundtrack—with fewer repeats and more control.
What to watch next
More brand consolidation: Expect MTV’s music heritage to live on as branded shelves inside apps rather than separate linear channels.
Big tentpoles will go wide: Awards shows and concert specials will favor broadcast + streaming hybrids to maximize reach.
Catalog access improves: As archives migrate to official channels, expect better quality, more restorations, and deeper metadata (song credits, directors, release context).
Our take @ WLIT.FM™
This isn’t the death of music videos—it’s the retirement of a distribution model that lost its lock on discovery. For Long Island fans, nothing stops you from finding the next thing you’ll obsess over; you’ll just do it where the culture already moved: on-demand, social-powered, and shareable. For local artists, the playbook is clearer than ever: ship videos where fans actually watch, seed short-form moments, and turn streams into ticket sales across our venues.
Sources
Octiive industry overview on the shutdown and corporate restructuring context
International trade coverage outlining the five affected channels and the 2025 timeline
U.S. consumer reporting clarifying that domestic flagship MTV continues
Business/tech analysis on audience migration to YouTube, TikTok, and streaming music video platforms
