Top Indian TV Channels That No Longer Exist: Over the years, India's television industry has undergone significant change. Many famous TV networks that formerly dominated Indian homes have shut down and no longer exist for a variety of reasons, such as declining profits, shifting viewer tastes and the emergence of digital platforms. While some channels were shut down as a result of corporate reorganisations, others were unable to withstand the competition from OTT platforms and online streaming services like YouTube and Netflix.
Several once-popular networks, ranging from news and entertainment to sports and music, are now only in the past. Once popular with young people, channels like AXN, Channel V and Lehren had to close when digital platforms supplanted them. Similar to this, a lot of regional and news networks shut down because of poor viewership or financial difficulties. Even foreign networks like FX India and BBC Entertainment India were unable to maintain their presence in the nation.
List Of 50+ Iconic Indian TV Channels That No Longer Exist
With these networks shutting down, a chapter in traditional television history also comes to an end. Here is the list of more than 50 channels that went off-air. Also, check the reasons why they need to shut down these channels. This list will make you nostalgic whether you grew up watching them or only heard about them!
General Entertainment Channels
| Channel Name | Reason Of Shut Down |
| DD Metro | Launched in 1984, it was shut down in 2003 to make way for DD News. |
| Star One | Introduced in 2004, it was rebranded as Life OK in 2011 due to strategic repositioning. |
| Life OK | Replaced Star One in 2011 and was later rebranded as Star Bharat in 2017. |
| Imagine TV | Started in 2008, it ceased operations in 2012 due to low viewership. |
| Real TV | Launched in 2009, it shut down in 2010 owing to poor ratings. |
| Zee Next | Initiated in 2007, it was discontinued in 2008 due to a lack of audience interest. |
| 9X | Began in 2007, it faced financial issues and was taken off air in 2009. |
| UTV Bindass | Launched in 2007, it was rebranded as Bindass Play in 2014 and later discontinued. |
| Bindass Play | Replaced UTV Bindass in 2014, it was eventually shut down in 2017. |
| Channel V India | Started in 1994, it was discontinued in 2018 due to declining viewership. |
| Sony Pal | Introduced in 2014, it was temporarily discontinued in 2015 due to low TRPs but later revived. |
Indian Music Channels That Shut Down
| Channel Name | Reason Of Shut Down |
| MTV Indies | Launched in 2014, it was replaced by MTV Beats in 2016 due to strategic changes. |
| Channel V India | Started in 1994, it was discontinued in 2018 due to declining viewership. |
| 9XO | Introduced in 2012, it was taken off air in 2020 due to low demand. |
| Sony Mix | Launched in 2011, it ceased operations in 2020 as part of a network-wide restructuring. |
| iTunes HD | Started in 2011, it was discontinued in 2017 due to competition and low viewership. |
| Bindass Play | Replaced UTV Bindass in 2014, it was eventually shut down in 2017. |
| Zee ETC Bollywood | Launched in 1999, it was rebranded and eventually discontinued in 2020. |
| UTV Stars | Introduced in 2011, it was taken off air in 2014 due to strategic shifts. |
| Sony Rox HD | Started in 2017, it ceased operations in 2018 due to low viewership. |
| B4U Music | Launched in 1999, it faced stiff competition and was eventually discontinued. |
Indian Movie Channels That No Longer Exist
| Movies Ok | Rebranded to Star Gold 2 in 2020 to streamline the network's movie channel offerings. |
| UTV Action | Rebranded to UTV Movies Action in 2014 to focus on action-oriented films. |
| Zee Premiere | Closed in 2015 due to strategic realignment within the Zee network. |
Indian Kids Channels That Went Off Air
| Animax | Launched in 2004, it was replaced by Sony Yay in 2017 due to low viewership. |
| Jetix | Started in 2004, it was rebranded as Disney XD in 2009. |
| Toon Disney | Introduced in 2004, it was replaced by Disney XD in 2009. |
| Disney XD | Launched in 2009, it was discontinued in 2019 as part of Disney's content strategy. |
| ZeeQ | Started in 2012, it ceased operations in 2017 due to low viewership. |
| Nick Jr. India | Introduced in 2010, it was replaced by Sonic Nickelodeon in 2011. |
| Pogo | Launched in 2004, it was rebranded and its content was merged with Cartoon Network. |
| Discovery Kids India | Started in 2012, it struggled with ratings and was eventually discontinued. |
| Marvel HQ | Launched in 2019, it was replaced by Super Hungama in 2022. |
| Hungama TV | Introduced in 2004, it was acquired by Disney and rebranded. |
Sports Channels In India That Is No Longer Available
| NEO Sports | Launched in 2006, it ceased operations in 2012 due to loss of broadcasting rights. |
| NEO Cricket | Started in 2008, it was discontinued in 2012 after losing key cricket telecast rights. |
| Sony ESPN | Introduced in 2016, it was shut down in 2020 following the end of the partnership between Sony and ESPN. |
| Sony Kix | Launched in 2015, it was rebranded as Sony ESPN in 2016. |
News Channels That Shut Down In India
| Lok Sabha | In 2021, Lok Sabha TV merged with Rajya Sabha TV to form Sansad TV. |
| NDTV profit | Converted into NDTV Prime in 2017 due to declining viewership in business news. |
| Dilli Aaj Tak | Ceased operations in 2020 as part of the India Today Group's strategic restructuring. |
| Focus NE | Shut down in 2017 due to financial constraints and low viewership. |
| Focus News | Closed in 2017 owing to operational challenges and market competition. |
Lifestyle and Infotainment Channels That Went Off Air
| Fox Life India | Shut down in 2020 as part of Disney's restructuring post-Fox acquisition. |
| FYI TV18 | Ceased operations in 2020 due to low viewership and strategic realignment by the network. |
| Living Foodz | Rebranded to Zee Zest in 2020 to offer a more comprehensive lifestyle and entertainment experience. |
| AXN | Sony Pictures Network shut down AXN India in 2020 as part of its strategic restructuring |
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