MTV Music Channels Closure in Australia: Paramount Ends Linear Channels on Fetch TV
MTV's music channels are facing closure in Australia as Paramount announces the discontinuation of the linear MTV music channels locally. The affected channels include MTV 80s, MTV 90s, MTV 00s, MTV Club, and MTV Hits. These channels will no longer be available on Fetch TV after October 31.
Paramount's decision to shut down the channels comes after the company chose not to renew its deal with Foxtel earlier this year. Foxtel has since replaced the MTV music channels with a new set of music channels curated locally in Australia by Nightlife Music. The MTV brand will still be present in Australia, but the linear music channels will not transition to the streaming platform 10 (formerly known as 10Play).
In addition to the closure of the MTV music channels, Comedy Central, which was also managed by Paramount Networks UK & Australia and exclusive to Fetch TV, was shuttered earlier this year. This move seems to be part of a broader global cost-saving strategy, with reports indicating that MTV linear channels will also be closing in the UK, Poland, France, and Brazil.
The BBC reported that the closures are part of efforts to reduce costs at the company by a significant amount across its global business. In the UK, the MTV channels are set to close on New Year's Eve. The MTV brand first launched in Australia in 1987 as a compilation music video show hosted by Richard Wilkins on Nine, before being reintroduced as a linear music video channel on Optus Television and later added to Austar and Foxtel.
In conclusion, the closure of MTV's music channels in Australia marks the end of an era for these iconic channels, as Paramount shifts its focus to other platforms for delivering MTV content to audiences in the region.