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Part 1 of Oprah's Lance Armstrong Interview Draws 4.3 Million Viewers

Related: OWN, Oprah, Lance Armstrong

4.3 million viewers watched Oprah Winfrey's no-holds-barred exclusive interview with Lance Armstrong "Oprah and Lance Armstrong: The Worldwide Exclusive" Part 1 (Thursday, January 17).

The special "Oprah's Next Chapter" premiere episode (9 p.m.) marked the highest rated weekday telecast in OWN history across all key demos. Additionally, the telecast ranked #1 in OWN history across all key male demos (1.88 M25-54, 1.59 M18-49, .98 M18-34).

Thursday's interview (9 p.m.) was the second highest network telecast to date garnering 3.2 million total viewers, posting strong triple-digit growth across the key demos versus year ago numbers (+855% W25-54, +931% total viewers). The second airing (10:30 p.m.) earned an additional 1.1 million viewers. OWN's top telecast is "Oprah's Next Chapter" featuring Whitney Houston's family (March 11, 2012; 3.5 million viewers).

The conversation continues tonight as "Oprah and Lance Armstrong: The Worldwide Exclusive" Part 2 airs Friday, January 18 from 9-10 p.m. ET/PT on OWN and will be simultaneously streaming LIVE worldwide on Oprah.com. In the interview, Winfrey speaks with Armstrong in Austin, Texas about the alleged doping scandal, years of accusations of cheating and use of performance-enhancing drugs throughout his career.

For more information, visit http://www.oprah.com/LanceArmstrong

"Oprah's Next Chapter" Lance Armstrong (Thursday, January 17 from 9-10:30 p.m. ET/PT)

9 p.m. ET/PT: 2.10 W25-54; 3,174,523 million total viewers

Growth versus year ago: +855% W25-54, +931% total viewers

#1 weekday telecast in OWN history across all key demos

#1 telecast in network history across all key men demos: 1.88 M25-54; 1.59 M18-49; .98 M18-34.

10:30 p.m. ET/PT: .80 W25-54; 1,119,000 million total viewers

Growth versus year ago: +158% W25-54, +235% total viewers

Competitive data is not yet available.

Source: The Nielsen Company

OWN ratings are coverage ratings.

About "Oprah's Next Chapter" (Sundays at 9 p.m.)

The new primetime series features Oprah Winfrey as she steps outside of the studio for riveting, enlightening and in-depth conversations with newsmakers, celebrities, thought leaders and real-life families. Upcoming episodes feature Drew Barrymore (Sunday, Jan. 20), L.L. Cool J (Jan. 27) and Cissy Houston (Special time Monday, Jan. 28 at 9 p.m.). The series is produced by Harpo Studios.

Join the conversation on Twitter using #NextChapter

About OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network A joint venture between Harpo, Inc. and Discovery Communications, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network is a multi-platform media company designed to entertain, inform and inspire people to live their best lives. OWN debuted on January 1, 2011, in approximately 80 million homes on what was the Discovery Health Channel. The venture also includes the award-winning digital platform, Oprah.com. OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network is currently available in approximately 67% of homes in the United States and 80% of cable homes.