Watch 5USA

The name ‘5USA’ highlights two key features of the channel: first, that it is owned by Channel 5 Broadcasting Limited, and second, that it focuses on broadcasting content imported from the USA, mainly crime dramas and series.

The channel was launched in 2006 as a free-to-air channel under the name Five US and was simultaneously a second digital terrestrial channel belonging to RTL Group (the first one was 5Star).

Initially, the channel broadcasted part-time, from 4:00 pm to 1:00am, but as its popularity grew, the time slot was expanded and 5USA got to be on air starting at 12:00pm and then to go full-time from 7:00am to 3:00am.

As the channel attracted a wider audience and gathered more views, it was decided to launch its time-shift version. This +1 version went on air in 2007 and was made available on Sky TV platform only.

The channel got rebranded from Five US to Five USA in 2009 and then to 5USA in 2011. The rebranding was a part of a major overhaul given by Channel 5 Broadcasting Limited to its subsidiary channels in an attempt to make them look modern and cool.

The channel had its ‘face’ ident till 2009. This role was given to Russel Kane, the British comedian, who was a ‘brand’ of the channel and who filled time slots between programmers with short comedy clips. The filling was necessary due to advertising regulation in the UK that limited the time allocated to ads and required channels to broadcast more of ‘meaningful’ content instead.

5USA ordered a set of custom music idents from a composer and performer Sufjan Stevens. The ident compositions included The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts and The Dress Looks Nice on You, among others, and were regularly used by the channel until 2009.

The channel has its own branding punchline that succinctly describes the programming viewers can expect: ‘action-packed with ‘glued to your seat’ content’.

The most watched show on the channel was the second installment of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation in 2008. The number of viewers tuning in totaled to 2.5m. It gave 5USA the status of the British multichannel that was second in rating only to BBC One.

5USA does not skip on classics, and fans can watch here such long-loved series and procedurals as Law & Order, Murder, She Wrote, and Colombo, among others.