MTV is a cable television network that has played a major role in shaping modern pop culture. It launched in 1981 as a 24/7 music video channel, then known as Music Television. Over the last four decades, the channel has evolved into an industry leader in reality TV programming.  Today, MTV operates within Paramount Skydance Corporation and remains a cultural juggernaut, despite shifts in music viewing habits. 

Massive reality franchises dominate the network’s current lineup. RuPaul’s Drag Race is one of the most iconic shows on the network, currently airing its 18th season and nd continuing to break viewership records. The dating reality franchise The Jersey Shore is another lifestyle staple on MTV. At the same time, the competition-based series The Challenge continues to reinvent the competition genre, with several spin-offs available on the network. 

Other shows include Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta and Caught in the Act: Unfaithful, which is returning for its fourth season in 2026. The network also airs reruns of its long-running, iconic show Ridiculousness, which ended in 2025, as well as reruns of other scripted and unscripted shows, such as The Big Bang Theory, Teen Mom, and older episodes of RuPaul’s Drag Race and The Jersey Shore franchises. 

MTV is home to several recognizable on-air personalities, such as RuPaul Andre Charles (RuPaul’s Drag Race) and T.J. Lavin, the long-running host of The Challenge. Other notable figures include Tami Roman (Caught In the Act: Unfaithful) and Nina Parker (Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta).