MTV, originally an initialism of Music Television, is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. It first aired music videos hosted by video jockeys and later moved toward reality programming for teenagers and young adults. It is the flagship of the MTV Entertainment Group within Skydance.
MTV’s logo is one of the most influential in television design. Unlike most network logos of its era, it was constantly filled with different colors, patterns and images in station IDs. Its only constant aspects were its general shape and proportions.
Logo history
- 1981: Manhattan Design, a collective of Frank Olinsky, Pat Gorman and Patty Rogoff, designs the logo under creative director Fred Seibert. The main version has a yellow M and a red TV.
- 2008: A cropped version of the logo begins appearing on air with FNMTV.
- February 8, 2010: The cropped logo becomes the official logo, dropping the words Music Television. The rebrand is overseen by Popkern.
- 2021: The current file on Commons is dated to the 2021 version.
This timeline lists only changes that a cited source confirms. Earlier or minor variants of the MTV mark that could not be dated from a primary or reputable source are left out rather than guessed.
Logo colors
The logo is meant to be filled with changing colors and images, so no fixed brand color is recorded. The Commons SVG renders the shape in black and white.
Typography
No typeface has been named by the network.
FAQ
Who designed the MTV logo?
Manhattan Design, under Fred Seibert, in 1981.
When did MTV drop Music Television from its logo?
The cropped logo became official on February 8, 2010.
What color is the MTV logo?
It has no single color; it was designed to be filled with images and patterns.
Sources
Logos shown are trademarks of their owners and are provided for identification and reference. To request removal, contact [email protected].