After a troublesome 1990s, Kanal 5 launched new strategies in the early 2000s (decade) that established it as a popular entertainment channel targeting young people.

[1] Åke Wilhelmsson and Kari Storækre through production company Karissima aired in 1988 God Morgon Scandinavia, a breakfast programme for Sky Channel, at the time when it was widely available on Swedish cable networks.

When Sky announced that it would change its target group and started aiming at the British market, the couple began to prepare their own channel.

[5] Among the companies that booked airtime on Nordic Channel was Utbildningsradion itself, who used the slots for a programming block financed by TV license fees.

[7] Aside from these slots the channel also broadcast its "own" programmes, among them the American soap opera "The Bold and the Beautiful" which became its first ratings success.

In September 1991, Carlgren sold 75% of the channel to TV1 Europa (later renamed Scandinavian Broadcasting System),[9] headed by Harry E. Sloan, who had already bought Kanal 2 in Copenhagen and TVNorge in Norway.

Autumn 1994 saw the premiere of Femman's first Swedish drama series, soap opera Solo[18] which didn't gain successful ratings.

Agreements with independent production companies ended at the start of 1996, meaning that Miniatyr and the religious services were removed from the schedule.

[26] Shortly after the rename new Swedish programmes premiered: Måndagsklubben with Caroline Giertz, Lusthuset, En ding ding värld with Johannes Brost, Fallet X with Walter Kegö, Det ringer på dörren, Emmas analys with Emma Sjöberg, Lotta with Lotta Aschberg, Ronnys rullar and Fråga Helene with Helene Backman.

Initially, the channel continued having management and transmission from Sweden, but in August 1997 the British regulatory body ITC was notified that it needed to operate from the UK.

CEO Patrick Svensk left in November 1999 due to disagreements with SBS, with sales manager Manfred Aronsson taking the post.

In the 2000s the channel specialised mainly in American drama series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, and Criminal Minds.

New sitcoms continued attracting viewers, such as later seasons of Vänner, Two and a Half Men, Cougar Town, The Big Bang Theory and Suburgatory.

Betnér Direkt discussed social questions and won Kristallen 2012 in the Factual and Current Affairs Programme of the Year category.

The Big Bang Theory received the Swedish The Torsten Wiesel Midnight Sun Award prize with the justfication of "bringing science to the living room" in June 2016.

The goal of the reface was to, according to WBD, provide a more consistent and updated profile and to ease travel between Nordic countries to raise awareness of what channels are owned by the company.

The main channel in each country adopted red as its colour; the colour-coded profiles make it easier for viewers to find content.