MTV’s Future is on the Line as Corporate Cost-Cutting Intensifies [WATCH]

MTV’s four-decade run on U.S. cable television is not ending yet, but the network’s long-term survival is under review as Paramount Skydance leadership evaluates major cost-cutting measures across its media properties, as reported by The New York Post.

The iconic channel, launched in 1981 and best known for its evolution from a music video platform into a reality TV brand, is facing the same challenges affecting other legacy cable networks — declining viewership and revenue losses due to cord-cutting.

The truth behind the MTV rumors — as corporate bosses look to slash costs https://t.co/z8p7V4frui pic.twitter.com/BYPRgXwSM4

— New York Post (@nypost) October 17, 2025

Sources familiar with the discussions told On The Money that Paramount Skydance executives are exploring multiple options for MTV’s future. Those options include potentially transitioning the brand into a digital-only or streaming-focused platform to align with broader industry trends.

Paramount Skydance Chief Executive Officer David Ellison and President Jeff Shell have not made any formal decisions regarding the U.S. MTV network.

According to individuals close to the company, both executives are reluctant to shutter the channel immediately because of its brand recognition and continued, though reduced, audience engagement.

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“For now, the thought of them killing the U.S. channel is just noise,” one source said. “But you never know what could happen in the future given the business environment.”

RIP #MTV pic.twitter.com/gavhqZG8BJ

— Barney Simon (@BarneySimon) October 15, 2025

The review comes as Paramount Skydance continues to implement company-wide spending reductions following its $8 billion acquisition of Paramount Global earlier this year. Ellison and Shell are reportedly targeting up to $500 million in cost cuts as part of their financial restructuring plan.

As part of the streamlining, MTV’s international footprint is already being reduced. According to The Post’s Taylor Herzlich, MTV will shut down five UK channels — MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV, and MTV Live — effective December 31.

Additional MTV music channels in Australia, Poland, France, and Brazil are also scheduled to close in the coming months.

Goodbye, old friend. You were our ultimate savior from boredom. There was a time when the TV stayed on #mtv for hours a day. pic.twitter.com/94jX2afhfn

— Anup Mankar (@anupmankar) October 15, 2025

The network’s global closures are part of a broader restructuring effort within Paramount Skydance, which also owns Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, and CBS. Industry insiders say CBS’s news and sports divisions could face operational reductions as well.

A Paramount Skydance spokesperson declined to comment on the reported discussions.

The ongoing review of MTV’s operations comes as the company prepares for possible large-scale consolidation in the media sector. Ellison’s team is reportedly considering a bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, a deal that could cost as much as $60 billion.

Any such acquisition would likely require further layoffs and structural adjustments across the company’s entertainment assets.

MTV, once a defining brand in pop culture, remains operational in the United States for now. But as Paramount Skydance’s executives work to balance profitability and legacy, the network’s long-term future on cable television remains uncertain.

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