The Jan. 23 premiere of Starz’ “Spartacus: Blood and Sand” drew more than 3.3 million total viewers in its several showings, which the network said was its most successful premiere ever, reports Multichannel News.

When ongoing DVR playback and online viewing is added in, the premiere is expected to eventually top 4 million viewers, the network said. The pay network had high hopes for the show, renewing it for a second season even before the premiere.

–Elizabeth Jensen