The first episode of The Sopranos was shown on a cable network.
The Sopranos . After the pilot was ordered in 1997 , the show premiered on the premium cable network HBO in the United States on January 10 , 1999 , and ran its six seasons with 86 episodes to June 10 , 2007 . The series then went through syndication and has been broadcast on A&E in the United States and internationally . `` The Sopranos '' , also known as `` Pilot '' , is the first episode of the HBO television drama series The Sopranos , which premiered on January 10 , 1999 .