Remember “I want my MTV”? For a generation of music fans, it was the rallying demand to cable companies to add Music Television to their lineups in the early ’80s. In those days, MTV was a national radio station that introduced new artists and genres to millions through music videos. The network later invented reality TV with “The Real World” and adult animation with “Beavis & Butt-Head,” but the “M” always stood for music.
That was then. Today, the Paramount-owned channel features little music and only a handful of ongoing reality shows, including various “Teen Mom,” “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” and “Jersey Shore” spinoffs. The rest of MTV’s daily schedule is mostly made up of reruns of “Ridiculousness,” “Ridiculousness,” and more “Ridiculousness.”
What channel is MTV on near me?
If you still want your MTV, it’s available on almost every cable, satellite, and live TV streaming service in the US. We’ve cataloged over 50 cities below and their local TV provider’s MTV channels. If you don’t see your city, try our zip code tool at the end of the table to find a local service.
MTV channels in major US cities
| City | Cox channel | DIRECTV channel | DISH channel | Optimum channel | Spectrum channel | Xfinity channel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque, NM | — | 331 | 160 | — | — | 73 |
| Anchorage, AK | — | 331 | 160 | — | — | — |
| Atlanta, GA | 38 | 331 | 160 | — | 38 | 50 |
| Austin, TX | — | 331 | 160 | 98 | 38 | — |
| Bakersfield, CA | — | 331 | 160 | — | 43 | — |
| Baltimore, MD | — | 331 | 160 | — | — | 53 |
| Boston, MA | — | 331 | 160 | — | — | 28 |
| Bronx, NY | — | 331 | 160 | 53 | 118 | — |
| Brooklyn, NY | — | 331 | 160 | 53 | 20 | — |
| Buffalo, NY | — | 331 | 160 | — | 56 | — |
| Charlotte, NC | — | 331 | 160 | — | 43 | — |
| Chicago, IL | — | 331 | 160 | — | — | 76 |
| Cincinnati, OH | — | 331 | 160 | — | 35 | — |
| Cleveland, OH | — | 331 | 160 | — | 42 | — |
| Colorado Springs, CO | — | 331 | 160 | — | — | 66 |
| Columbus, OH | — | 331 | 160 | — | 38 | — |
| Dallas, TX | — | 331 | 160 | — | 41 | — |
| Denver, CO | — | 331 | 160 | — | — | 23 |
| Detroit, MI | — | 331 | 160 | — | — | 55 |
| El Paso, TX | — | 331 | 160 | — | 68 | — |
| Fort Lauderdale, FL | — | 331 | 160 | — | — | 69 |
| Fort Worth, TX | — | 331 | 160 | — | 41 | — |
| Fresno, CA | — | 331 | 160 | — | — | 44 |
| Honolulu, HI | — | 331 | 160 | — | — | — |
| Houston, TX | — | 331 | 160 | — | 30 | 30 |
| Indianapolis, IN | — | 331 | 160 | — | 31 | 51 |
| Jacksonville, FL | — | 331 | 160 | — | — | 58 |
| Kansas City, MO | — | 331 | 160 | — | 68 | — |
| Las Vegas, NV | 37 | 331 | 160 | — | — | — |
| Los Angeles, CA | — | 331 | 160 | — | 58 | — |
| Louisville, KY | — | 331 | 160 | — | 37 | — |
| Memphis, TN | — | 331 | 160 | — | — | 60 |
| Miami, FL | — | 331 | 160 | — | — | 70 |
| Milwaukee, WI | — | 331 | 160 | — | 52 | — |
| Minneapolis, MN | — | 331 | 160 | — | — | 35 |
| Nashville, TN | — | 331 | 160 | — | 42 | 34 |
| New Orleans, LA | 27 | 331 | 160 | — | — | — |
| New York, NY | — | 331 | 160 | — | 20 | — |
| Oklahoma City, OK | 30 | 331 | 160 | 153 | 66 | — |
| Orlando, FL | — | 331 | 160 | — | 73 | 78 |
| Philadelphia, PA | — | 331 | 160 | — | — | 68 |
| Phoenix, AZ | 29 | 331 | 160 | — | — | — |
| Pittsburgh, PA | — | 331 | 160 | — | — | 47 |
| Portland, OR | — | 331 | 160 | — | 43 | 63 |
| Sacramento, CA | — | 331 | 160 | — | — | 70 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | — | 331 | 160 | — | — | 55 |
| San Antonio, TX | — | 331 | 160 | — | 34 | — |
| San Diego, CA | 354 | 331 | 160 | — | 36 | — |
| San Francisco, CA | — | 331 | 160 | — | — | 43 |
| San Jose, CA | — | 331 | 160 | — | — | 43 |
| Seattle, WA | — | 331 | 160 | — | — | 63 |
| St. Louis, MO | — | 331 | 160 | — | 42 | — |
| St. Paul, MN | — | 331 | 160 | — | 45 | — |
| Tampa, FL | — | 331 | 160 | — | 66 | 33 |
| Tucson, AZ | 50 | 331 | 160 | — | — | 67 |
| Washington, DC | — | 331 | 160 | — | — | 73 |
Get MTV with cable or satellite
Unlike in 1981, MTV is available on almost every US cable and satellite TV service today. Some also carry offshoot networks MTV2 (which features slightly different reruns than MTV proper) and MTV Classic (a 24/7 music video channel just like the good ol’ days of MTV).
| Provider | Type | Price | MTV | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cox | Cable | $20.00–$184.00/mo. | ✔ |
View Plan Read Cox review |
| DIRECTV | Satellite | $89.99–$169.99/mo. | ✔ |
View Plan Read DIRECTV review |
| DISH | Satellite | $89.99–$119.99/mo. | ✔ |
View Plan Read DISH review |
| Optimum | Cable | $15.00–$140.00/mo. | ✔ |
View Plan Read Optimum review |
| Spectrum | Cable | $45.00–$160.00/mo. | ✔ |
View Plan Read Spectrum review |
| Verizon Fios | Cable | $105.00–$149.00/mo. | ✔ |
View Plan Read Verizon Fios review |
| Xfinity | Cable | $55.00–$125.00/mo. | ✔ |
View Plan Read Xfinity review |
Get MTV with a live TV streaming service
As with cable and satellite, MTV is easy to get with a live TV streaming service like YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, or Philo. Sling TV requires the extra step of bundling its Entertainment Extra add-on package with one of its base packages, but it also gets you MTV2, Paramount Network, TV Land, and other channels in addition to MTV.
| Provider | Type | Price | MTV | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIRECTV | Streaming | $89.99–$169.99/mo. | ✔ |
View Plan Read DIRECTV review |
| Fubo | Streaming | $14.99–$94.99/mo. | ✔ |
View Plan Read Fubo review |
| Hulu + Live TV | Streaming | $88.99–$99.99/mo. | ✔ |
View Plan Read Hulu + Live TV review |
| Philo | Streaming | $33.00/mo. | — |
View Plan Read Philo review |
| Sling TV | Streaming | $19.99–$60.99/mo. | ✔ (Entertainment Extra add-on) |
View Plan Read Sling TV review |
| YouTube TV | Streaming | $82.99/mo. | ✔ |
View Plan Read YouTube TV review |
What’s on MTV?
As mentioned previously, MTV runs a whole lot of “Ridiculousness” these days, broken up with blocks of “Love & Hip-Hop Atlanta,” “Caught in the Act: Unfaithful,” “Untucked: RuPaul’s Drag Race,” and other network reality fare. But, MTV mixes it up comedically with repeats of “The Big Bang Theory” and “The Office,” as well as the occasional movie.
MTV channel guide FAQ
Will MTV still be on TV?
Though it's been discontinued in the rest of the world, MTV is still available as a cable channel in the US and Canada as of 2026, reaching 67 million households (down from 99 million in 2011).
What MTV channels are there?
At the peak of its popularity, MTV spawned several sister networks, including MTV Hits, MTV Live, and the harder-edged MTVX. In 2026, only MTV, MTV2, and MTV Classic are active.
How do I watch MTV without cable?
If you don't have a cable, satellite, or live TV streaming subscription, you can still watch much of MTV's programming on Paramount's free streaming app, Pluto TV. The app includes channels dedicated to MTV reality shows and music videos, as well as on-demand content. On the paid subscription side, streamer Paramount+ features MTV content past and present.
