The latest incarnation of FX's American Horror Story came out of the gate by securing the anthology franchise's largest audience.

"Freak Show" averaged 6.13 million watchers during its Oct. 8 debut, according to Nielsen data. That topped the previous record-holder, the debut of the series' third iteration by 11%, as "Coven" drew some 5.5 million watchers last fall.

Wednesday night's debut also scored well with the 18-to-49 set, averaging a 3.1 rating, up one-tenth from Coven's bow.

The demo delivery was the second best in all of television, behind only the 3.4 for ABC's Modern Family.