In a significant change for television viewers, eight channels are set to disappear from Sky and Virgin Media services today. This transition marks a pivotal moment as traditional TV continues to adapt to the growing dominance of streaming platforms. Six of these channels will cease broadcasting entirely at midnight, while two will remain available as digital streams only.
This year has proven particularly challenging for the conventional TV channel landscape, especially within premium subscription packages. Notable channels such as Eurosport and Sky Replay have already left UK screens, consolidating their content on alternative channels or offering it on-demand. The closure of these channels signals a broader overhaul as we approach the end of 2025.
Major Channels Sign Off
The first major brand to announce its departure is MTV, which after 38 years will no longer feature music programming. Four dedicated music channels—MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, and Club MTV—are all shutting down. Only the flagship MTV channel remains, but it will focus exclusively on reality TV programming. This reduction significantly limits the available music channels on both Sky and Virgin Media, following the earlier closure of other popular channels like The Box, Kiss, 4Music, Magic, and Kerrang in June 2024.
Additionally, the children’s channel Pop will also exit traditional broadcasting as a linear channel. Although Pop, Tiny Pop, Pop+1, and Tiny Pop+1 will no longer be available on Sky and Virgin Media’s TV guides, they will transition to digital-only platforms. Viewers can still access these channels via smart TVs and internet-enabled Freeview devices.
Industry Insights on Changing Viewing Habits
According to Paolo Pescatore, a tech industry expert with PP Foresight, this shift reflects a profound change in consumer behaviour. He stated, “Consumer behaviour has changed so much and we should see it change further with the shift towards streaming over the internet.” He further noted that options such as “watch from the start” contribute to the decline of traditional channels.
Pescatore emphasized that in a cost-conscious era, it is increasingly impractical to support channels that do not engage viewers effectively. “This makes perfect sense and would argue why this has not happened sooner,” he added, referencing the impact of existing carriage deals on channel sustainability.
The departure of these channels from Sky and Virgin Media highlights the ongoing evolution of media consumption. As audiences migrate towards on-demand and streaming services, traditional television faces mounting pressure to adapt or risk obsolescence.
