The 8 Sky and Virgin Media channels disappearing FOREVER in December

A MAJOR shake-up is coming this December as eight Sky and Virgin Media channels, including MTV Music, disappear forever.

Long-running music and kids’ favourites will be removed as broadcasters overhaul their line-ups ahead of the new year.

The changes affect Sky and Virgin Media viewers, with channels closing permanently and vanishing from the electronic programme guide (EPG) in early January.

The biggest losses are music channels from the MTV stable.

MTV Music, Club MTV, MTV 90s and MTV 80s are all closing permanently, with MTV Music switching off on December 31 before being removed from the EPG on January 6.

For many fans, it marks the end of traditional music TV after decades on air.

THE AXE FALLS

Iconic broadcaster to cut five UK channels by end of year amid streaming boom

REACH FOR THE SKY

Sky reveals fate of FOUR popular TV channels following spate of closures

Children’s TV is also being hit, with Pop, Tiny Pop, Pop+1 and Tiny Pop+1 all closing permanently – taking the total number of channels disappearing forever to eight.

These channels will stop broadcasting at the end of December and will also be removed from listings on January 6, according to Sky.

Alongside the permanent closures, Sky viewers will notice dozens of temporary channel name changes throughout December.

These include festive and franchise takeovers such as Harry Potter, Spider-Man, Back to the Future, DC, Bourne and Jurassic Park, which will briefly replace existing Sky Cinema and entertainment channels before reverting back.

Some rebrands are permanent, including Gems TV HD changing its name to Gemporia HD, while others are short-term promotions tied to films, sport or seasonal schedules.

Sky has confirmed that the list of changes is updated weekly and may still change, but the closures at the end of the month are final.

For many viewers, especially those who grew up watching MTV or kids’ music channels, the December switch-off will feel like a major moment in TV history.

Tough few weeks for Sky…

Analysis by Jamie Harris, Assistant Technology and Science Editor at The Sun

This announcement is a sigh of relief for Sky after some major shifts lately.

First there was the closure of Eurosport, with customers told they will need to pay £30 extra to access TNT Sports instead at the end of February if they want to continue watching the sports shown on Eurosport.

Then Sky Cinema viewers were told they will now have to face ads within Paramount+ which is included as part of their subscription.

And this week customers were recently informed of dreaded bill increases.

While Sky History and the rest aren’t big hitter channels like Sky Sports, it will be welcome news for telly fans.