Big changes are happening at Paramount. The entertainment company is being acquired by Skydance in a merger expected to close in 2025.
Assuming this deal closes, it could have heavy implications for Paramount and its entities. Specifically, it will impact television networks like MTV. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the merger could see cable networks become de-prioritized with CBS remaining the main television network for the Paramount brand.
This news might be quite jarring to Challenge fans, but we’re many steps away from the show ending.
Most likely, this would result in the MTV brand having fewer networks like MTV2 and MTV Live. Other Paramount cable networks (like Comedy Central and BET) could also see a reduction in secondary channels.
We’ve also seen programs move from one Paramount network to another. The flagship Challenge hasn’t been removed from MTV, but Love and Hip-Hop: Atlanta and RuPaul’s Drag Race left VH1 and jumped onto MTV. I wouldn’t be surprised if more shows followed this pattern.
It seems that consolidation is the name of the game with this merger, and is that really a bad thing? It feels like 90% of MTV schedule is Catfish or Ridiculousness reruns. It wouldn’t hurt to allocate more of the schedule to new programming, even if these shows originated on VH1 or another network.
I doubt Paramount would end MTV any time soon. Even though viewership has declined, MTV has more brand recognition than other Paramount channels. Even if MTV was sent to the television graveyard, that doesn’t mean The Challenge will die — it just means it might air elsewhere.
This is an inevitable transition as streaming reigns supreme, and Paramount is expected to favor streaming moving forward. This could mean new episodes of the Challenge are finally available to stream as soon as they’re released.
Any changes are strictly speculatory at this point, but The Challenge seems safe for now. It will likely be on MTV indefinitely, but you might see different shows on the network’s schedule.
Stop Being Polite 