MTV music channels shut down as Canal+ strikes Warner Bros. discovery deal

The move was announced in October by MTV’s parent company, Paramount Skydance, as part of a broader cost-cutting initiative linked to a merger earlier in the year. While CEO David Ellison has indicated plans to revitalise the MTV brand and its cable channels, details remain unclear, particularly following the closure of much of its music-focused programming.

MTV’s flagship channels are expected to continue broadcasting in the UK and other regions, although these largely feature reality-based content rather than music videos. MTV HD will remain available in the UK without music video programming. The US versions of the closed channels are reportedly unaffected. The closures follow other cost-cutting measures announced last year, including the cancellation of award shows such as the MTV Europe Music Awards and MTV Latin America’s MIAW Awards.

MTV originally launched in the United States in 1981 and expanded into Europe and the UK in 1987. A dedicated UK channel followed ten years later, with MTV Music debuting in 2011. The channel’s final broadcast featured The Buggles’ Video Killed the Radio Star, the same video that inaugurated MTV in 1981.

In related media developments in Africa, MultiChoice owner Canal+ has reached a multi-year, multi-territory agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery, resolving uncertainty over 12 DStv channels that would otherwise have gone dark at midnight on 31 December. The expanded deal covers distribution of HBO Max and the renewal of several Warner Bros. Discovery thematic channels across Africa and Europe.

“This expanded agreement covers both the distribution of HBO Max and the renewal of several Warner Bros. Discovery thematic channels across numerous regions in Africa and Europe,” Canal+ stated. The channels affected include CNN International and Cartoon Network (exclusive in South Africa), Cartoon Network Porto (exclusive in Angola and Mozambique), as well as Discovery Channel, TLC, HGTV, Travel, TNT Africa, Food Network, and others.

The agreement also integrates HBO Max into select Canal+ group offerings and renews distribution for 22 thematic channels and four free-to-air channels. Canal+ said the deal strengthens its entertainment, children’s, news, and documentary offerings in African markets.

Despite the Warner Bros. Discovery renewal, four Paramount-linked channels on DStv will close at the end of 2025. BET Africa and MTV Base, along with CBS Reality and CBS Justice, will cease broadcasting on DStv and GOtv on 1 January 2026. Paramount Africa’s closure marks the end of the company’s South African operations, which previously reached over 100 million viewers across 52 African territories.

Industry observers said these developments reflect a broader reshaping of global media portfolios. While Warner Bros. Discovery’s partnership with Canal+ ensures continuity for several African channels, the closure of Paramount Africa and MTV’s music-focused channels underscores the ongoing shift away from traditional cable models towards streaming and curated content.