MTV Europe launched on 1 August 1987. A 24-hour English-language network aimed at viewers aged around 16-24, it reaches more than 100 million households in 43 territories. MTV Europe is distributed via satellite, cable, and other terrestrial distribution. MTV became the pioneer broadcaster of Europe in 1995 with the upgrade of its broadcasts to digitally compressed transmissions and is currently broadcast on every digital platform in Europe. MTV Europe is wholly owned and operated by MTV Networks Europe. MTV European is based in Camden Town, London. In 2001, the channel re-branded MTV Europe as 'MTV European' and later reverted back to MTV Europe in February, 2008 when the channel moved from its headquarters in London to Warsaw. The channel currently serves only a small number of countries including Iceland, Israel, Bulgaria, Greece, Cyprus and Malta.

With similar tongue-in-cheek humour as the 1981 launch of MTV in the U.S., the first video shown on MTV Europe was "Money for Nothing," by Dire Straits, which starts and finishes with repetition of the line "I want my MTV", voiced by Sting.