Oprah’s Network Gets A Warm Welcome From Viewers

First Published: January 3, 2011 5:04 PM EST Credit: WireImage

Caption Oprah Winfrey looks out from the set during the taping of the “Oprah Winfrey Show” at the Sydney Opera House on December 14, 2010 in Sydney, Australia

NEW YORK, N.Y. -- On its debut weekend, Oprah Winfrey’s cable network got some healthy sampling from viewers.

During the three-hour block beginning at 8 p.m. EST on Saturday, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network averaged 1 million viewers, according to preliminary Nielsen Co. figures released Monday by the network.

OWN said that, during Saturday’s 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. EST hours, the network ranked third among all ad-supported cable networks in the 25-to-54-year-old audience demo. OWN was airing episodes of its reality series, “Season 25: Oprah Behind the Scenes.” Only ESPN and USA Network ranked higher.

Sunday in prime time, the network averaged 822,000 viewers.

OWN, which launched at 12 noon EST on Saturday, is available in 80 percent of homes with cable.

Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.