OWN's Lance Armstrong Interview Nabs 3.2M Viewers

Falls short of record 3.5M for Houston family sit-down; draws 4.3M over two airings

By Tim Baysinger -- Broadcasting & Cable, 1/18/2013 3:08:00 PM

The first part of the Oprah Winfrey Network's exclusive interview with disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong drew 3.2 million viewers Thursday night, according to Nielsen, becoming the second most-watched telecast in network history.

The special Oprah's Next Chapter, in which Armstrong officially admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs, fell short of the previous record of 3.5 million viewers for the March 11, 2012, episode of Next Chapter, where Winfrey sat down with the family of the late Whitney Houston.

Over two airings, the special drew 4.3 million total viewers. The telecast was the top-ranked in network history across all key male demos with 1.88 million men 25-54; 1.59 million men 18-49; and 980,000 men 18-34.

The second part of the interview with air Friday and will be streamed on Oprah.com.