Doctor Who's 50th anniversary edition The Day of the Doctor attracted the biggest ever audience on the BBC's US cable channel on Saturday.

The show averaged 2.4 million viewers on BBC America, despite being broadcast at 2.50pm on the US east coast (11.50am in California) rather than in evening primetime, as the 50th-anniversary episode was simulcast with BBC1's UK broadcast.

A primetime repeat attracted a further 1.2 million viewers.

On BBC1, The Day of the Doctor averaged 10.2 million viewers and a 37.4% share on Saturday – the fifth biggest overnight audience for a Doctor Who episode since the show's revival in 2005, and the most popular outside Christmas and new year holiday specials.

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