'Sons of Anarchy' premiere is Tuesday's No. 1 show

Sons of Anarchy‘s shocking season 6 premiere paid off as far as ratings are concerned. Coming in as Tuesday’s No. 1 show, according to Nielsen ratings, SOA topped all broadcast and cable programs in the following demographics: Adults 18-49, Adults 18-34, Adults 25-54, Men 18-49, Men 18-34, Men 25-54, Women 18-49 and Women 18-34.

Last night’s episode also set a series high across those demographics on a live and same-day basis with 5.87 million total viewers. Adding in encore telecasts, the total rises to 8.09 million viewers.

The show’s ratings saw a significant improvement from its season 5 debut, with an increase of 13 percent in Adults 18-49 and Adults 25-54, a 43 percent increase in Women 18-34, and a 35 percent increase in Women 18-49.

Awaiting more data, the episode is likely to become FX’s top-rated single telecast in history.