.svg) Logo used since 2021 | |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | United Kingdom Ireland |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
| Programming | |
| Language | English |
| Picture format | 1080iHDTV (downscaled to16:9576i for theSDTV feed) |
| Timeshift service | MTV +1 (2008–2020) MTV One +2 (2008) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Paramount Networks UK & Australia |
| Sister channels | MTV 80s MTV 90s Club MTV MTV Music MTV Live Channel 5 5Star 5Select 5Action |
| History | |
| Launched | 1 July 1997 |
| Former names | MTV UK & Ireland (1997–2004) MTV UK (2004–2007) MTV One (2007–2009) |
| Links | |
| Website | mtv mtv |
| Availability | |
| Streaming media | |
| Sky Go | Watch live (UK & Ireland only) |
| Now | Watch live (UK and Ireland only) |
| Virgin TV Anywhere | Watch live (UK only) |
MTV is a Britishpay television channel focusing onreality TV and music programming operated byParamount Networks UK & Australia.
The channel launched as part ofMTV Networks Europe localisation strategy in 1997. MTV UK (previously MTV UK & Ireland; MTV One) was launched on 1 July 1997. The channel was set up to provide audiences with local artists and more relevant music content. Prior to the localisation of MTV in Europe, the region was served byMTV Europe which was launched on 1 August 1987. Since February 2011 MTV has been solely an entertainment channel.[1][2]
The channel is currently available in over 10 million homes in the UK and Ireland.[3]
From its inception, MTV UK (then branded as MTV UK & Ireland) the network served United Kingdom and Ireland. For a short period the channel was made available free-to-air in New Zealand between July 1997 to June 1998[4]under a special agreement betweenTVNZ and MTV Networks Europe. The channel was broadcast on analogue from theAstra 1A satellite as part of theSky Multichannels subscription package. In April 2001, the channel became a digital-only channel within the UK and Ireland.
MTV first became available in the UK whenMTV Europe launched on 1 August 1987. On July 1, 1997, at 06:00 Western European time, MTV UK began broadcasting in the UK and Ireland as part of MTV Networks Europe's regionalisation strategy. The first video clip shown on the air was "Three Lions" byThe Lightning Seeds.[5] MTV UK & Ireland launched with specialised content of hitMTV Europe shows which included theEuro Top 20,MTV Select,MTV News,MTV News Weekend Edition, Non-Stop Hits, US Top 20 Hitlist UK, Stylissimo, The Big Picture, Up 4 It and The Lick. The channel promoted mainly English-speaking music programming and music.
In 1999, MTV Networks Europe announced that it would expand its channel portfolio within the UK and Ireland. On 1 July 1999, MTV launchedMTV Base andMTV Extra. MTV UK & Ireland also rebranded with a new schedule and on-air presentation.
In 2002, MTV began to air programming from MTV US, similar to other MTV channels in Europe. MTV began to drop some of its localised programming in favour of MTV US shows. These shows includedJackass,Date My Mom andDismissed. Despite targeted efforts to play certain types of music videos in limited rotation, MTV greatly reduced its overall rotation of music videos throughout the first decade of the 2000s. While music videos dominated the channel in early 2000-2002 the rate of music rotation declined rapidly. Similar trends are noted on other European MTV channels and other sister networks in the US.
On 6 September 2006,MTV Flux launched in the UK and Ireland. MTV Flux was an attempt at marrying a video music channel with interactive online features. It had both a social media component, where users could set up their own, individual profiles as well as access to submit video clips through the MTV Flux website. MTV Flux was shuttered in January 2008.
On 22 July 2007, MTV in the UK was renamed to 'MTV One' with a major new branding launching across most of the MTV channels. MTV2 was renamed 'MTV Two' to follow the consistent branding across the channels. Promotion started on 1 July 2007 under the title 'MTV New 22.07.07'.[6] The rebrand saw viewers engaging with the channel.[7] In early 2009, it was announced thatMTV One would be rebranded as simplyMTV and the one-hour timeshiftMTV One +1 asMTV +1 on 1 July 2009.[8]
For most of 2008, MTV's main source of music video programming was based on its sister channelsMTV Two,MTV Hits,MTV Dance,MTV Base andTMF. As of 2009 the only music based programming on MTV includeMTV Push,MTV World Stage andMTV Iggy. These shows are produced by MTV Networks International and are shown on most MTV channels worldwide.
On 1 July 2009 MTV available in the UK and Ireland adopted MTV's global identity as part of MTV International. 64 MTV channels now share similar music and entertainment content and similar on-air and online branding. Part of the rebrand saw a 50/50 balance in the number of music based programming and reality based TV series that air on the channels.[9]
From 2010, MTV increased its music output which has since been diluted by reality based television programmes. As part of a global strategy MTV music content with the launch ofMTV World Stage and Friday Night Music, both shows helped to maintain MTV's audience figures.
On 1 February 2011, MTV removed all music from the channel and moved it to newly launched channelMTV Music; the only music that remains is the occasionalMTV Most Wanted strand. The channel became a general entertainment channel and was moved to the entertainment section of Sky's EPG at channel 126, with MTV +1 moving to 160. The move resulted in an increase in the channel's audience share of nearly 150% in the 6 weeks after the change, while viewing was down nearly 20% on Virgin Media during the same period, where the channel had yet to move.[10] On 29 May 2013 MTV was moved to the entertainment section of Virgin Media's EPG on channel 134.[2]
MTV was rebranded once again to the current logo on 1 July 2011, and began broadcasting in 16:9 widescreen at the same time. A high-definition simulcast of MTV launched on 13 February 2012 on Sky in the UK and Ireland.[1]
In 2016, MTV started showing repeats ofBig Brother UK in the UK, the day following its broadcast onChannel 5.
Amid a global reorganisation of MTV, Paramount Global announced on Friday, 27 June 2025 that MTV UK has cancelled its local programmes, includingFresh Out Live andMTV Gonzo, fronted byBecca Dudley andJack Saunders respectively. UK-focused content will instead appear on MTV’s social-media channels, while the broadcast feed pivots to mainly international output. Most of the redundancies at MTV’s London office affect on-air talent and production staff.[11]
These cuts would continue in October 2025, when it was announced that all of MTV's music-centric sister channels would close at the end of the year.[12] This comes after the company’s decision to cut $500 million of their global portfolio, and coincides with closures of other Paramount channels in select other European countries and Brazil.[13]
Alex ZaneAlice LevineAnthony CrankBecca Dudley (2012–2025)Bluey Robinson (2012–2016)Cat Deeley
Danann BreathnachDane BowersDave BerryDonna AirDP Fitzgerald[14]Eddy Temple-MorrisEdith BowmanEmma WillisEmma LeddenGreg JamesJoel DommettJune SarpongJustin Lee CollinsKelly BrookLilah ParsonsLisa SnowdonLaura Whitmore (2008–2016)Melvin O'DoomMichael Gibson
Simone AngelRichard BlackwoodRickie Haywood WilliamsRussell BrandSara CoxSarah CawoodTim KashTrevor Nelson
Zane LoweOn 13 February 2012, a high-definition simulcast of MTV called MTV HD launched.[1]
MTV 90s is a British pay television music channel owned by Paramount Networks UK & Australia that launched on 31 March 2022 replacing MTV Base. It was first launched as a temporary rebrand of MTV Classic from 27 May to 24 June 2016. The channel broadcasts music from the 1990s.
MTV 80s was the British version of the international music TV channel MTV 80s, which began broadcasting on 31 March 2022, replacing MTV Classic. It was first launched as a temporary rebrand of MTV Classic from 28 February to 31 March 2020. The channel broadcasts music from the 1980s. It was replaced by MTV 80's international feed in 2024.
Club MTV is a British music television channel, originally launched on April 20, 2001 asMTV Dance. MTV Dance later rebranded asClub MTV on May 23, 2018. The channel originally closed on July 20, 2020 but was relaunched on April 14, 2025, replacingMTV Hits.
Launched on 1 February 2011 - MTV Music broadcasts non-stop music videos, live performances and artist interviews.[15]
Direct from Warsaw and broadcast throughout Europe, MTV Live is a 24-hour standard and high definition music and entertainment channel. The channel was rebranded from MTVNHD to MTV Live HD on 23 April 2012, gaining a standard definition simulcast at the same time. On 29 June 2016, MTV Live HD was replaced byNick Jr. HD on Sky in the United Kingdom and Ireland but continues on Virgin Media.[1]
MTV Ireland is an Irish opt-out feed of MTV UK that was launched on 22 February 2004. It features localised advertising and sponsorship for the Irish market. As of February 2019 the broadcasting licence is held by RTTV[16] in the Czech Republic, moving from Ofcom in the UK.
MTV Extra was launched in 1999 and was a mixture of music videos and repeats of MTV programming. Towards the end of the channel's life, programming was dropped and the channel showed solely music videos (under the "Pure Music" name), withMTV Dance in the evenings. MTV Dance was spun off into its own channel on 20 April 2001, and MTV Extra was renamedMTV Hits at 6am on 1 May 2001. MTV Extra is notable for being the only spin-off MTV channel to use the same song title graphics as its parent channel (although it had its own separateidents).
Launched on 6 September 2006, MTV Flux allowed viewers to take "control" of the channel by sending in video clips to MTV Flux's website, and requesting music videos. It was replaced by MTV +1 on 1 February 2008, a timeshift service of MTV. MTV had announced that the "Flux" format would be integrated into its other channels, and so the website still remains.
MTV2 was launched in 2002 replacing M2. The channel focused on rock and indie music and featured shows such as MTV2 Most Wanted and Gonzo. The channel was replaced withMTV Rocks on 1 March 2010.
MTV's general entertainment channel featuring reruns and new episodes of MTV's reality shows. Formerly MTV R until 1 March 2010. The channel ceased operating from 1 February 2011. Its broadcast capacity was relocated to the Music section of the Sky guide for use asMTV Music.
MTV Dance was the dedicateddance music channel with music videos and programming of underground and mainstream dance tracks. The channel was replaced withClub MTV on 23 May 2018.
MTV Rocks was a channel dedicated to alternative rock music, with other commercial mainstream music types found on MTV's other music channels. MTV Rocks was previously known as MTV Two and was replaced by MTV Rocks on 1 March 2010. MTV Two was previously MTV2 Europe and M2 respectively. The channel closed on 20 July 2020.
Launched on 1 March 2018. MTV OMG was the channel for music and gossip, replacingViva. The channel closed on 20 July 2020.
Launched on 1 February 2008 at midday, this timeshift service of MTV replaced MTV Flux, which in turn had replacedVH2. Trailers for the channel had aired before and after the launch, highlighting the catch-up ability of the new channel. The channel was known as MTV One +1 between 1 February 2008 and 1 July 2009. Coinciding with the closures ofMTV OMG,MTV Rocks andClub MTV on 20 July 2020, the timeshift channel also closed as part of this change, along with the timeshifts forMTV Music andComedy Central Extra.
TMF was launched as a free-to-air television channel onFreeview on 30 October 2002 to compete againstEMAP'sThe Hits (now4Music). It originally started as a non-stop music channel, although the network featured more programming from MTV and its other sister channels from early 2004. The channel was replaced withViva on 26 October 2009.
VH2 was launched in December 2003 and shown mainly music videos and live concerts. It focused on rock, indie and punk music and branded itself as 'the alternative to manufactured pop'. The channel closed on 1 August 2006 because the main source of income for the channel,ringtoneadvertising, had slowed down. MTV replaced VH2 withMTV Flux, which was in turn replaced with a timeshift version of MTV.
Launched on 26 October 2009, Viva was the new music and entertainment channel, which replacedTMF. The channel shown content from sister channelsMTV andComedy Central, as well as programmes fromNickelodeon andSpike, with some acquired content airing as well. As the only MTV channel sitting on the Freeview platform, it was MTV UK's highest-rating service. The channel unexpectedly closed on 31 January 2018.
VH1 was a channel targeted at 25- to 44-year-olds playing chart andpopular music from the 1970s to the present day. It also carried music programming and themed countdown shows from their US counterpart. The channel closed on 7 January 2020.
MTV Base was a British pay television music channel from Paramount Networks UK & Australia that focused primarily on hip hop, R&B, grime, garage, reggae, funk, soul and dance music. MTV Base closed on 31 March 2022, and was replaced byMTV 90s.
MTV Classic was a British pay television music channel from Paramount Networks UK & Australia. The channel was launched in the United Kingdom and Ireland on 1 July 1999 as VH1 Classic. It focused on music videos and music specials from the 1960s onwards, sometimes featuring music videos and concert footage from as early as at least the 1940s or 1950s, such as Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" from 1942. It also aired videos from the 2000s and early 2010s. Every November and December from 2013 until 2021, MTV Classic played Christmas-themed music branded as MTV Xmas. On 31 March 2022, the channel closed down, and was replaced byMTV 80s.
MTV Hits was a British pay television music channel, launched on May 1, 2001. The domestic feed of the channel was merged into the European feed on August 1, 2024. The channel closed on April 14, 2025 and was replaced by the second iteration ofClub MTV.
Beginning in 2022, some MTV-branded channels began to appear on the British version of the Paramount-owned streaming platformPluto TV - the move followed on from the establishment of similar streams on Pluto in other territories. The streams are, like the rest of the Pluto TV channels, available at no cost to viewers. As of October 2025, the available services included:
The Pluto TV lineup is dynamic and often changes, with some channels offered for a time and then disappearing, and some stations specifically set up to operate for a limited time in conjunction with a particular season or event. As such, the lineup of MTV channels offered on Pluto has fluctuated over the years.
Temporary feeds which have popped up seasonally have included:
Feeds which have previously been available but since been removed from the system include:
| Year | Association | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Diversity in Media Awards | Broadcaster of the Year | MTV UK | Nominated |
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