On 18 May 2006 SKY Network Television announced the launch of a licensed, localised MTV channel, operated by Viacom New Zealand.

The channel had the backing of several influential New Zealanders in the music industry including: Ed St. John, President and CEO, Warner Music Australasia; Denis Handlin, Chairman & CEO, Sony BMG Music Entertainment Australia & New Zealand; Andy Murnane, CEO, Dawn Raid Entertainment; and local hip-hop artist Savage.

[5] The website officially launched in July 2006 and only showed a promo for the channel (which related to cows and cow milk which makes people do strange things), a form to win tickets to the 2006 VMAs, VJ search and launch party info.

This redesign mirrored the then-recently launched MTV Australia website and utilised a different key colour to differentiate it.

[6] MTV also broadcast a Top 10 Countdown nightly, although the genre of songs played changed from one day to the next.

On 6 July 2007 MTV launched The Mix which was hosted by Amber Peebles and Jay Reeve.

Most of the programming was MTV created content that has little to do with music (Pimp My Ride, Laguna Beach, Full Tank, The Hills, etc.