Club MTV (UK & Ireland)
 | |
| Country | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | United Kingdom and Ireland |
| Network | MTV |
| Programming | |
| Language | English |
| Picture format | 1080i HDTV (downscaled to 16:9 576i for the SDTV feed) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | ViacomCBS Networks UK & Australia |
| Sister channels | |
| History | |
| Launched |
|
| Replaced | MTV Hits (relaunch) |
| Closed |
|
| Former names | MTV Dance (2001–2018) |
| Links | |
| Website | (at time of closure) mtv.co.uk/club-mtv |
Club MTV was a British electronic dance music channel operated by ViacomCBS Networks UK & Australia launched on 20 April 2001 as MTV Dance.[1] The channel played dance, trance, clubhouse, electronica, drum and bass, rap, R&B, hip-hop, techno and house music.
The channel closed on 20 July 2020 but was relaunched 5 years later on 14 April 2025, replacing MTV Hits.
Concept and expansion
In May 2000, MTV Extra was reformatted to focus on pop and dance music, with an MTV Dance sub-channel airing in its space during the evening hours.[2][3]
Following the strand's immense success, on 30 March 2001, MTV Networks Europe announced that MTV Dance would be spun off as a standalone network on 20 April, which would allow MTV Extra to exclusively focus on pop music and be renamed as MTV Hits.[4] The channel officially launched as planned on 20 April, airing from 7:00 pm until 6:00 am, timesharing with Nick Jr.[5]
On 13 August 2002, MTV Dance gained its own 24-hour transponder slot on all platforms.[6]
MTV Dance began broadcasting in widescreen on 6 March 2012.
Expansion around Europe
On 7 March 2008, MTV Dance increased its presence around Europe, when MTV Networks Europe replaced the Europe-wide feed of MTV Base with a similar feed of MTV Dance.
From 10 January 2011 a feed of the MTV Dance channel launched in Italy on Sky Italia, replacing MTV Pulse. In 2014, MTV Dance, as well as MTV Rocks and MTV Hits started broadcasting European versions, without commercials or teleshopping. MTV Dance Europe was rebranded as Club MTV in June 2020.
Expansion into Australia
VIMN launched the channel in Australia on 3 December 2013 as MTV Dance Australia, it shows the same programmes from the UK version, then rebranded as Club MTV in 2020.
Closure
This channel, along with its sister channels MTV OMG and MTV Rocks closed on 20 July 2020, with a chart based on the channel's former content airing on MTV Base.[7] "High on Life" by Martin Garrix featuring Bonn was the last music video played on the channel.
MTV Dance Europe was later rebranded as the European version of Club MTV in June 2020, as was the Australian version a month later.
Relaunch and second closure
Club MTV was relaunched in the UK, on 14 April 2025, replacing MTV Hits.[8][9] The channel ceased broadcasting again on 31 December 2025.[10] Its second final song broadcast was “Don’t Stop the Music” by Rihanna. Followed by a loop of the Club MTV logo rotating and changing colour every time it rotated with music in the background and text scrolling by at the bottom saying "Club MTV is now closed. Continue watching over at MTV."
References
- ^ "New launch Club MTV goes live". Broadband TV News. 23 May 2018. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
- ^ https://www.alexmusic.net/tele/musicsat/mtv/dance/index.htm
- ^ https://www.digitalspy.com/tech/a671/m2-becomes-mtv2/
- ^ https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a2423/mtv-to-launch-dedicated-dance-channel/
- ^ https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a2675/mtv-dance-launches-as-30th-global-mtv-station/
- ^ https://www.alexmusic.net/tele/musicsat/mtv/dance/index.htm
- ^ Wilkes, Neil (13 July 2020). "MTV to close three UK channels next week". Media Mole. Archived from the original on 30 August 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
- ^ TVmusic (9 April 2025). MTV Hits - Club MTV Launching 14 April Graphic. Retrieved 10 April 2025 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Changes to the TV Guide - April 2025". Sky Community. 28 March 2025. Retrieved 11 April 2025.
- ^ "MTV to axe its music TV channels in the UK". bbc.com. BBC. 10 October 2025. Retrieved 10 October 2025.