Lance Armstrong's interview with Oprah Winfrey -- during which he admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs during his bicycling career -- drew 3.2 million total viewers with its initial 9 p.m. airing Thursday night, OWN said.

When a second airing Thursday night is taken into account, the interview amassed 4.3 million total viewers.

Also read: Lance Armstrong Confession: Did Anyone Actually Believe Him? [5]

The special edition of "Oprah's Next Chapter" drew the second-highest ratings in the network's history, following Winfrey's interview with the family of deceased singer Whitney Houston last March, which drew 3.5 million total viewers.

The Armstrong numbers were good but by no means spectacular. By comparison, the recent TLC special "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo: A Very Boo Halloween" earned 3.1 million. On the same night, Jan. 6, "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" had its highest-rated episode of the season with 3.7 million.

To say nothing of the 17.9 million total viewers that the season premiere of "American Idol" drew on Wednesday night -- and that was considered a disappointment, compared to the singing competition's 2012 premiere numbers.

The second part of the interview will run Friday night at 9 p.m.