From 1955 to 1958, Danish television carried a program in Swedish (Sydsvenska journalen) aiming at viewers in Skåne until the link with Stockholm was finished in 1958.

Among the programs shown on the launch night of the renamed service was a special variety show (Cabaret Canalhumorn) with Povel Ramel and Hans Alfredson.

Increased competition from commercial channels, including TV4, led to another relaunch as SVT1 in 1996, incorporating programming produced from across the country again.

A major corporate revamp in 2001 saw the channel repositioned as SVT's flagship network to make it the most-watched television station in Sweden - a position previously held by SVT2.

The biggest change, which received a lot of criticism, was that Bolibompa's 6pm broadcast, after more than twenty years on SVT1, as well as more programs from the children's range, were moved to Barnkanalen.

[9] On June 17, 2010, SVT received permission from the government to start broadcasting two HDTV channels in the digital terrestrial network.

[11] On screen, the TV1 and TV2 logos were usually seen accompanying picturesque slides of the country and the station clock, although in-vision continuity was generally favoured for most junctions.

[12] A review of SVT presentation led to the end of in-vision continuity on the network on Sunday 4 March 2012 - the last announcer to appear on camera was Justine Kirk.

On weekdays, a typical broadcast day on SVT1 begins with the breakfast programme Morgonstudion (lit., "The Morning Studio") followed by a mix of repeats of the previous night's primetime lineup, films, TV series, magazine shows, and documentaries throughout the day as well as live sport.

SVT1 is usually the channel for annual events of national significance such as the announcement and awarding of the various Nobel Prizes and the Eurovision Song Contest.

Stories from SVT's regional newsrooms also feature in the national programme Sverige idag (Sweden Today) on weekdays.