'What a depressing way to start 2026': Internet in shock over reports of MTV shutting down

Has MTV officially ended the last of its 24-hour music channels on a global scale? Social media is rife with nostalgic posts around the iconic music channel shutting down after over four decades.

All 5 channels that have reportedly been shut down on December 31, 2025 are MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV90s, Club MTV, and MTV Live.

Some reports also claimed that the last song that played on NTV was 'Video Killed the Radio Star' by The Buggles, which incidentally was the very first video broadcast on the iconic music channel on August 1, 1981. 

MTV era officially over? Here's what netizens wrote

"NYC and MTV died on the same day. What a depressing way to start 2026 (sic)," a user wrote. 

A second user said, "MTV had a 24-hour music channel? I thought that ended in the 80's?"

"Full circle moment. MTV really logged off with a mic drop (sic)," a third user commented. 

"It's sad for someone like me. Those were the days when we used to wait for our favourite songs on MTV and watching it together. Dancing on the beats was something memorable," a fourth user weighed in. 

"Full circle perfection: Started with 'Video Killed the Radio Star' in 1981... ended with it in 2025. But let's be real -- YouTube, TikTok, and streaming finished the job. RIP Music Television. You shaped generations, then got Jersey Shored into oblivion," a user said. 

"30 years too late. They only played misc full time for 14 years. Irrelevant after that," another user commented. 

Has MTV really shut down?

As per some reports, the channel is still alive. Some social media users pointed out that the channel was in fact playing back-to-back episodes The Big Bang Theory. 

According to a Variety report, MTV's parent company Paramount Skydance did shut down some MTV channels in the UK but with a contradiction. Starting in the UK and Ireland, the closure was set to follow in France, Germany, Poland, Austria, Hungary, Brazil and Australia. 

"MTV's specialist music channels in the UK will no longer operate as linear channels. The flagship MTV UK channel will continue to broadcast... Paramount is reviewing and adjusting its international Pay TV portfolio, given shifts in audience behavior towards streaming and digital platforms," the report quoted a source as saying.