FOXTEL continues music shake-up as AUDIO CHANNELS set to depart

Foxtel is overhauling its music offerings once again, confirming the removal of all 30+ audio channels powered by Stingray from 1 July 2025.

Among the casualties are genre staples like 70s Hits, Classic Rock, Chillout Lounge, Hip Hop, Café Jazz, Country Hits, and Kids Tunes, as well as niche selections such as Foxtel Arts Crooners, Broadway, and Classical.

Even relaxation-focused channels like Relax, Love Songs, and Nature have been cut.

Full List of Departing Audio Channels:

The cuts span decades and genres, removing:
Decades/rock: 70s-2000s Hits, Classic/Alt/Blues Rock, 50s & 60s Jukebox, Retro Party, Classic Hits
Mood/niche: Calm, Love Songs, Soft Hits, Relax, Chillout Lounge, Nature, Café Jazz
Arts: Foxtel Arts Crooners, Broadway, Classical
Contemporary: Chart Hits, Pop Hits, Hip Hop, Club MTV Audio, MTV Hits Audio
Country: Country Hits, Country Classics
Family: Kids Tunes
Specialty: Special Events

Paramount Channels Also Confirmed to Depart

This latest round of cuts follows TV Blackbox’s earlier report on the impending exit of Paramount’s music channels, including MTV Hits (Ch: 801), Nick Music (Ch: 802), MTV Club (Ch: 803), MTV 80s (Ch: 804), and CMT (Ch: 805).

A teaser on Foxtel’s customer updates page acknowledges the removals while hinting at replacements: “Coming soon: New Music Video channels are coming to Foxtel in July. More details to follow!”

What these new channels will offer—and whether they’ll match the breadth of the departing MTV, Nickelodeon, and Stingray content—remains to be seen.

In a statement provided to TV Blackbox, a Foxtel spokesperson said:

“We are cooking up something fresh and new with music on Foxtel, remixing the way you connect with genres you love.”

“Stay tuned. We can’t wait to drop more in the coming weeks.”

A Shifting Strategy Under DAZN?

The changes come just months after Foxtel’s acquisition by sports streaming giant DAZN, raising questions about the future of Foxtel’s non-sports programming.

While DAZN has not publicly outlined plans for Foxtel’s entertainment offerings, the removal of long-standing music channels suggests a potential streamlining of its linear TV portfolio.