As a 24-hour television channel during the 1980s, Music Box was able to reach 60 million potential viewers in Europe and the Middle East thanks to satellite distribution.

At the time, a satellite dish and receiver were very expensive and for this reason had better viewing figures in countries where cable television was already used such as Belgium, Denmark, France, West Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

The creator of Thorn EMI's three satellite channels as director of programmes was Julian Mounter, who joined Music Box from Thames Television.

[1] On 9 August 1986, the Yorkshire Television region of the UK's ITV decided to go 24 hours a day and filled its entire nighttime period until 6am with a simulcast of Music Box.

[2] On 30 January 1987, the last music video that played was "Don't Give Up" by Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush, whether this song is also shown before closed early from the defunct satellite network Europa TV three months prior.