On 17 December 2001, RTL Klub adapted another new identity, designed by Dogfish and focuses on people which then zoom into their eyes.

While TV2 purchased the rights of Big Brother, RTL Klub produced its own series called Való Világ (Real World).

RTL Klub is the most watched TV channel in Hungary since 2002, thanks to the daily Hungarian soap opera Barátok közt (Among Friends), which is the most watched TV programme in Hungary with more than 2 million viewers; the tabloid magazine Fókusz (Focus) and the game show Legyen Ön is milliomos (Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?).

From the fall-winter season of 2005–2006, RTL Klub has started to broadcast popular American TV shows like Lost.

Poker Face ended with the super final at 18 December and the time slot of it will be occupied by the new game show A Széf (Take It or Leave it).

RTL Klub introduced a new graphics package on 1 June 2008 at 16:30 CET, just before a commercial break during a simulcast of a horse race.

In 2018, the Hungarian General Court and media regulators NMHH imposed a fine of up to HUF 143 million (€440,000) due to inappropriate content shown on the fourth season of popular show Való Világ, broadcast in 2010, returning after a six-year hiatus.

[6] Such unappropiate content included graphic imagery which did not adhere to the rating assigned to the show, as well as undisclosed product placement.

Popular comedy-drama series A mi kis falunk (A Little Village), has received high ratings during its four seasons; however, it has been heavily criticized by many viewers and critics due to its storylines, which reflect the life stereotypes of many rural and popular Hungarian villages.

It has also received condemnation from right-wing and far-right nationalists for supposed misbehaviour; for example, MEP Krisztina Morvai openly complained about the show when, during the summer of 2011, when she was on vacation, the show recorded portions of a storyline on the Pilis Mountains, which far-right government members and sympathizants have come to call it a miracle place where "the heart of the Earth beats", as told by Kata Jurák, editor of pro-government newspaper Magyar Idők.

Its newscasts have emphasized crime and human interest stories, sensationalistic reporting, a faster-paced format, heavy use of graphics and visuals, and on-the-scene coverage.

Its newsmagazine Fokusz has also received criticism, due to its mix of stories rotated around controversial issues and entertainment news.

[9] The station reacted by including, in its main news, more political stories, often very critical of Viktor Orbán and the right-wing coalition.

[10] This led to an increasing menacing rhetoric between both sides, until such dispute was resolved in early 2015, when the government toned down its rhetoric and cancelled the controversial tax proposal, mainly due to pressure from European Union, German and Luxembourgish politicians and government officials.

[11][12] This resulted on the dismissal of longtime group CEO Dirk Gerkens, which was eventually snapped by its biggest competitor (and pro-government station) TV2.

Although the station is still critical of the Fidesz-KDNP coalition, it has since toned down its aggressive rhetoric, but, at the same time, it has beefed up its informational programming, by adding more analytic and debate shows, including the debate show Magyarul Balóval (Baló's Hungary), hosted by former MTV political analyst and academic lecturer György Baló, which debuted in February 2015, and aired for four years until suddenly ending in early 2019, in an amicable decision related to György's need to undergo medical treatment for pancreatic cancer, to which he would succumb in March.

The show was also accused of being unfavourable towards Orbán and his government,[15] but it has been praised for inviting a diversity of representatives from political parties across the National Assembly.

Its daily news broadcast has also received more praise and higher ratings due to its fact-based, but critical reporting on the government actions, alongside balancing the content focus of the station's newscast, often tabloid- and infotainment-skewed,[8] as well as an improved on-air design.

The station also made some international headlines when an interview made by the Financial Times to Hungarian-American billionaire investor George Soros, which has been falsely accused of corruption and antisemitism by the coalition government, was translated and portions of it broadcast on an edition of the main evening news in November 2017.

[16] After the passing of the controversial Hungarian anti-LGBT law, RTL Klub staunchly opposed these legislative amendments.

RTL Klub also listed a number of series and films to which the channel produces and/or has the rights to broadcast, including many episodes of the popular Barátok közt (Among Friends) soap opera (which was, at that time, broadcasting its final season) and the Harry Potter film franchise, which would be affected by the law.

[17][18] In addition, from July 8, 2021, all commercial breaks on RTL Klub and its sister channels became subject to the Hungarian content classification system.

Instead of replacing the image, RTL Klub placed a statement condemning the passing of the legislation and asking viewers to support their stance by tuning in to the grand finale of the long running soap opera.

", which owned Cool, Film+, Sportklub (which ceased on 30 April 2016), Sportklub+ (which is a non-airing channel since 15 October 2009), DoQ (which closed on 31 March 2019), F&H, Sorozat+, Poén!

Originally Cool had the target audience of 15-29 urban youths who love music, externals, clothes, trendy lifestyle and extravagance.

(Legyen Ön is milliomos!, aired only parts being hosted by Sándor Friderikusz), The Exit List (A Kód) and Minute to Win It (Egy perc és nyersz) –, talkshows like Mónika Show (with 12+ rating, despite multiple times penalised on RTL Klub due to the guests' extremely violent manner to each other), Balázs show and Anikó show (flagship programme specifically made for the channel, hosted by former Való Világ competitor Anikó Nádai) and, since September 2018, it also airs Latin American and Turkish series.

It also airs four parts of Barátok közt (Among Friends) daily, dating back to the 1998 beginning of the legendary series counting 10 455 episodes.

In July 2012, something started to promoted on RTL Klub with these sentences: Life is Nice (Hungarian: Az élet szép.

In September 2012, it was revealed that these ads advertised RTL2, the new commercial television channel what will launch on October 1, 2012, and it will replace Reflektor TV.

In September, it suddenly became an Internet meme but bloggers and net users were disappointed when they got know the promotion is about "just" a new TV channel.