HBO’s drama “Hung” on Sunday night was the network’s most-watched series premiere in more than two years, with 2.8 million total viewers, according to figures from Nielsen Media Research.

With Thomas Jane as a down-on-his-luck basketball coach who becomes a gigolo, “Hung” was the pay network’s top series launch since 2007’s “John from Cincinnati” (3.4 million), which lasted one season.

“Hung’s” launch was comparable to that of some long-lasting HBO series, such as 2000’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (3.1 million) and 1998’s “Sex and the City” (3.7 million). 

Meanwhile, leading in to “Hung,” HBO continued to see gains from its vampire drama, “True Blood,” which tied its series high of 3.7 million viewers.

– Scott Collins