On 8 April 2017, SBS Viceland began simulcasting in high definition.

[3][4] Its flagship news and current affairs program The Feed aired on Thursday nights at 8:30pm.

[6] On 26 April 2009, Freeview's website and advertisements showed that the channel would be called SBS TWO.

SBS had originally planned for the channel to focus on Asia-Pacific speciality shows, international children's programming and English learning programmes.

[8] In June 2016, Shane Smith, CEO of US-Canadian media company Vice, announced at the Cannes Lions Festival that the company had reached deals with international broadcasters to launch localised versions of Viceland—a television brand featuring lifestyle-oriented reality and documentary-style programming aimed towards young adults.

[3] SBS Viceland screens mainly light entertainment and documentaries in peak viewing time.

It previously also aired drama series and international films each night under themed programming blocks.

In April 2013, the channel's relaunch as SBS 2 included various TV shows for a younger audience, including Bullet in the Face, Don't Tell My Mother, The Tales of Nights, Russell Howard's Good News, South Park, The Midnight Beast, Skins, Him & Her, Threesome, If You Are the One (a Chinese version of the Australian game show Taken Out), Housos, The Office, Parks and Recreation, Adam Ruins Everything and Community.

For example, an Illawarra Hawks v Perth Wildcats game in June 2021 received viewing figures of 40,000.

An SBS representative defended the service, noting that its target audience was engaging with the network through its digital and on-demand platforms.