MUMBAI: HBO claims that the much-anticipated return episode of mob drama The Sopranos on 15 September has been rated the most watched programme in the history of the cable channel in the US.

While older series of The Sopranos are currently running on Zee English in India, the show's fourth season premiere averaged a record 13.4 million viewers from 9 to 10 pm on Sunday in the US, surpassing the number one show for that hour on broadcast television, NBC's Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and the most watched programme of the night on the Big Four, CBS news magazine 60 Minutes.

Returning to HBO after a 16-month hiatus, The Sopranos picked up where it left off as Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) continued efforts to reconcile his roles as a gangster and family man through therapy while coping with a strained marriage and money problems in the family business.

"The premiere was believed to be the first time that an HBO programme topped the viewer ship for each of the big four broadcasters in a single hour ", the channel claims. The previous record-holder for most-watched broadcast on HBO was the 1989 championship boxing match between Mike Tyson and Frank Bruno.