| MTV Classic | |
| Launch Date: | 1 July 1999 |
| Picture Format: | 576i SDTV |
| Network: | MTV UK |
| Owner: | Paramount Networks UK & Australia |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Language: | English |
| Area: | United Kingdom, Ireland |
| Headquarters: | London, United Kingdom |
| Former Names: | VH1 Classic (1999–2010) |
| Replaced: | VH1 (Virgin Media UK) |
| Replaced By: | MTV 80s |
| Sister Channels: | MTV MTV Base MTV Hits MTV Music MTV Live |
MTV Classic was a British pay television music channel from Paramount Networks UK & Australia. The channel was launched in the United Kingdom and Ireland on 1 July 1999 as VH1 Classic.[1]
It focused on music videos and music specials from the 1960s onwards, sometimes featuring music videos and concert footage from as early as at least the 1940s or 1950s, such as Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" from 1942. It also aired videos from the 2000s and early 2010s. Every November and December from 2013 until 2021, MTV Classic played Christmas-themed music branded as MTV Xmas.
"Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles, the first video to air on the original MTV in 1981, was also the first music video to be played when the channel was rebranded as MTV Classic on 1 March 2010.
Since the rebrand, Viacom had rebranded other international channels as MTV Classic. On 1 May 2010, VH1 Australia was rebranded as MTV Classic and on 10 January 2011, MTV Networks Europe launched an Italian version of the same channel, replacing MTV Gold.
MTV Classic began broadcasting in widescreen on 6 March 2012.
On 31 March 2022, the channel closed down, and was replaced by MTV 80s.[2] [3] The final video played on the channel was "Goodbye" by Spice Girls.
In late 2022 a feed of archive music videos, listed on the guide under the MTV Classic name, was made available on the British iteration of Paramount Global's streaming television platform Pluto TV, following shortly after the addition of other MTV-branded music video streams (film soundtrack stream MTV Movie Hits and seasonal pop-up MTV Xmas) to the lineup. The Pluto streams are available at no cost to users and are separate to the MTV broadcast TV channels.
Viacom occasionally rebranded MTV Classic to a different name to air different kinds of music.
From 27 May to 24 June 2016, the channel rebranded as MTV 90s playing 90s music videos and select Nickelodeon shows from the 90s like Clarissa Explains It All and Kenan & Kel (both of which currently air on Trace Vault). The channel was permanently launched in Europe on 5 October 2020 replacing MTV Rocks. The channel officially launched as of 31 March 2022 replacing MTV Base.
From 28 February to 31 March 2020, the channel rebrand as MTV 80s playing 80s music videos similar to MTV 90s and the decade-themed Now channels. The channel was permanently launched in New Zealand on 6 July 2020 replacing the Australian version of MTV Classic and later in Europe on 5 October 2020 replacing VH1 Classic Europe. The channel officially launched permanently to the UK as of 31 March 2022.
The channel was available in the United Kingdom on Sky, Virgin Media, BT TV and TalkTalk Plus TV and in Ireland on Sky Ireland and Virgin Media Ireland.
MTV Classic was previously available on Virgin Media UK but it was removed from the platform on 28 August 2010, along with MTV +1 and MTV Shows, to make room for Comedy Central HD[5] and returned on 7 January 2020, replacing VH1 which had closed that day.[6]
MTV Classic's on-air identity was similar to MTV's international identity. MTV Classic utilised the new MTV logo along with specially commissioned idents by ICC.[7] These idents were also used on other MTV Classic channels around the world including MTV Classic Australia, which launched in May 2010. On September 14, 2021, MTV Classic revealed a new on-air look and new logo as part of MTV's 2021 global rebrand.