NBC's new version of Gladiators was watched by 12m viewers on Sunday, final numbers from Nielsen Media Research have confirmed.

The show earned a 14% share among adults 18-49, making it NBC's most-watched premiere for a new show since Heroes - and the highest rated new series premiere of the entire 2007-08 season so far.

The numbers have already earned it a post-premiere syndication run on NBC affiliates in an attempt to draw as wide an audience as possible to its Sunday night slot.