I Want My MTV! MTV Playing 24/7 Music Videos Again... for a Limited Time
MTV is cranking up the time machine with a one-week return to nonstop music videos ahead of the 2025 VMAs, hoping to recapture its '80s and '90s magic in the age of streaming.
Here's the TL;DR...
MTV will air 24/7 music videos across MTV2, MTV Live, and MTV Classic for one week leading up to the 2025 VMAs on September 7.
Former MTV exec Van Toffler is helping curate the lineup alongside past VMA winners and personalities.
The move is a nod to nostalgia, after MTV largely abandoned music videos in the 2000s amid the rise of reality TV and streaming platforms like VEVO and YouTube.
The Comeback: A Week of Video Nostalgia
MTV is briefly returning to its roots. From September 1 through September 7, 2025, the network will air music videos 24/7 on MTV2, MTV Live, and MTV Classic. The announcement was made via CordCuttersNews on June 29, 2025, and confirmed by a post on X.
The event, curated by past VMA winners and longtime MTV personalities, is described as an “unprecedented week” by Paramount. Spearheaded by former MTV exec Van Toffler—now back in the mix via a deal with Gunpowder & Sky—the initiative aims to blend iconic classics with fresh tracks, offering a nostalgic lead-up to the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards.
Why MTV Stopped Playing Music Videos
MTV's pivot away from music videos began in the late 1990s as audiences shifted online. While the channel famously launched in 1981 with The Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio Star," its commitment to music programming eroded over time.
Early hits like Yo! MTV Raps, Headbangers Ball, and Total Request Live eventually gave way to reality hits like The Real World (1992) and Jersey Shore (2009). By 2008, music content had dropped below 10% of airtime, according to archived Reddit discussions. The 2008 financial crisis only accelerated the shift to low-cost reality content like Teen Mom, fundamentally transforming the network's identity.
The Rise of VEVO and Streaming
By the mid-2000s, the internet was already reshaping how fans consumed music. YouTube launched in 2005, offering free, on-demand access to music videos. In 2009, VEVO emerged as a joint venture between Universal Music Group and Sony Music, streaming premium music videos in HD and embedding directly into YouTube’s ecosystem.
According to Vocal.media, VEVO boasted over 100,000 videos by 2012, quickly outpacing MTV's traditional broadcast reach. Meanwhile, platforms like Spotify and Apple Music became dominant among young listeners. A Statista report from June 2025 shows that 87% of U.S. teens now stream music via on-demand platforms, leaving little demand for scheduled TV programming.
Why It Matters: Nostalgia, Branding, and Legacy
MTV's brief return to music videos is a brand play as much as a programming experiment. It highlights the network’s complicated legacy—from cultural tastemaker to reality TV powerhouse to nostalgic brand relic.
Whether this revival is a genuine test for future programming or just a feel-good marketing stunt ahead of the VMAs, it taps into a longing for an era when music videos had cultural primacy. The event also arrives at a time when media companies are leaning on legacy IP to retain fragmented audiences. As of June 29, 2025, the move is trending under #MTVVideos on X, reflecting both curiosity and skepticism from longtime fans.
Sources:
CordCuttersNews, “MTV Will Bring Back 24/7 Music Videos For a Limited Time,” June 29, 2025
CordCuttersNews, Post ID: 1939332360664662045, June 29, 2025
Wikipedia, “MTV,” June 29, 2025
Vevo - Wikipedia, June 27, 2025
Vocal.media, “The Evolution of Music Video Distribution Platforms,” 2024
r/videos, Reddit, November 12, 2012
Statista, “Music Streaming Usage Among U.S. Teens,” June 2025
X, #MTVVideos, June 29, 2025
News compiled and edited by Derek Gibbs and Steven Bubbles on June 29, 2025. Follow us on ClownfishTV.com for more gaming, pop culture and tech news, and consider subscribing for only $5 per month to get access to exclusive podcasts and other content.