MTV Hits (Australia and New Zealand)
| Company type | Subscription television channel |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music television |
| Founded | April 2007 |
| Fate | Rebranded and replaced by MTV Music (2015); relaunched in 2020 |
| Headquarters | Australia |
Area served | Australia, New Zealand |
MTV Hits was a subscription-based music channel available in Australia and New Zealand, dedicated to current popular music. It originally debuted in Australia in April 2007 under the name The Music Factory and later extended its reach to New Zealand on 1 December 2011.
The channel ceased operations on 1 December 2015, being succeeded by MTV Music, but it was brought back on 1 July 2020 through a rebranding of MTV Music.
History
Launched as TMF Australia in April 2007 on the Optus Television pay TV platform, MTV Hits Australia & New Zealand offered interactive web and mobile features starting June 2007. Unlike its counterpart MTV, this channel focused exclusively on music content. Subsequently, it became accessible as a standalone channel via cable providers Foxtel and Austar, initially through the interactive My MTV Service.
Transition to MTV Hits
On 1 November 2010, TMF underwent rebranding to become MTV Hits. The channel then expanded its availability to New Zealand audiences via Sky Television on 1 December 2011.
A global brand update for MTV International channels, including MTV Hits, introduced new logos on 1 July 2011.
Discontinuation in Australia
On 29 October 2013, MTV announced a partnership with Foxtel aimed at broadening the network’s music channel lineup. Since MTV Classic and MTV Hits overlapped with Foxtel Networks’ own channels MAX and [V] Hits, MTV Music, a prominent UK-based music channel featuring pop, rock, urban, and alternative genres, replaced MTV Hits on Foxtel starting 3 December 2013.
While MTV Classic and MTV Hits were removed from Foxtel’s lineup, they continued to be offered through Australian IPTV service Fetch TV and New Zealand’s Sky Television. Fetch TV later confirmed that as of 1 January 2014, MTV Music would take over from MTV Hits on their platform, leaving MTV Hits exclusive to New Zealand.
Termination in New Zealand
On 1 December 2015, Sky Television in New Zealand substituted both MTV Hits and its sister station MTV Classic with a localized edition of MTV Music. This transition resulted in the discontinuation of MTV Hits in New Zealand since Sky was the final distributor.
Channel Relaunch
The channel was revived on 1 July 2020 on Foxtel channel 801, replacing both Channel [V] and MTV Music. It also became available again through Fetch TV and Sky (New Zealand).
On 1 August 2023, the Australian version of MTV Hits was supplanted by the European feed, which follows an identical programming schedule but operates nine hours ahead. Meanwhile, the local New Zealand version remained until early September.
Current lineup (2020–2023)
- After Hours
- After Party
- Best of the Week: Top 30
- Billboard Chart
- The Evolution of...
- Fresh Finds by MTV
- Hip Hop x RnB Party
- Hottest Right Now
- Local Finds by MTV
- Mornings on MTV
- Most Shazammed: Top 30
- Most Streamed Songs
- MTV House Party
- MTV Upload
- Official Global Chart
- Trending Right Now
- Up Late on MTV
- VEVO Certified 2011
- Wake Up with MTV
- Weekend Vibes Only
Former Programmes
- #Hits – Music videos accompanied by audience reactions sourced from MTV Hits' Facebook and Twitter platforms.
- ...vs... – Tracks featuring two rival artists, such as One Direction versus Justin Bieber.
- 10 Biggest Tracks Right Now – The national top ten songs chart.
- 30 Biggest Tracks Right Now – Ranking of the top thirty songs across the country.
- Brekkie Hits – A selection of songs played during early morning hours.
- Burst of... – Several consecutive tracks from a single performer, e.g., Burst Of...Timomatic.
- Double Play – Two sequential songs by the same artist.
- Fresh Vid – The newest video release from a highlighted musician, for example, Fresh Vid: Reece Mastin.
- MTV Download Charts – Songs ranked according to download statistics.
- MTV Hits Top 30 – The national chart showcasing the top thirty tracks.
- MTV News – Coverage and updates related to the music industry.
- My Pix – Videos featuring viewer comments displayed alongside.
- Nothing but MTV Hits – Music programming scheduled during nighttime hours.
- Pop Hits Top 6 – The six most popular pop songs nationally.
- Today's Most Wanted – Music selections voted for by viewers on MTV’s website.
- U Control – Music choices made by an individual viewer.
- Urban Hits Top 6 – The six leading urban tracks nationwide.
TMF Programmes
- Booty Beats
- Daily Downloads
- Eye Candy
- Fresh New Ones
- Snitch and Bitch
- Study Free Zone
- TMF Top 20 Download
- TMF X2
- Top 20 Theme:
- Top 20 Australian Charts
- Top 20 Pop
- Top 20 Rock
- Top 20 Urban
- Top 6 at 6
- Ultimate Top 100
- Vidcast – Mobile videos created by viewers and broadcast during the show.