Oprah Winfrey speaks onstage at the 3rd annual Diane Von Furstenberg awards at the United Nations on March 9, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images)

It’s been an uphill battle for Oprah Winfrey’s OWN, but based on recent ratings, the “Queen of Talk’ has a reason to celebrate. Efforts to improve the ratings for OWN are moving faster than previously expected.

According to Discovery’s chief executive David Zaslav, “We’re significantly ahead of where we thought we would be last quarter. After a 14 percent ratings gain in the first quarter in its core audience of women 25-54, OWN grew viewership around 20 percent in the latest period,” Zaslav said.  “And so far in the third quarter, ratings are up more than 50 percent. Overall, that leaves the channel up about 25 percent year-to-date.”

Since launching in January 2011, OWN reportedly lost over $300 million in advertising due to poor ratings, leading Discover to nearly double its initial investment.

However over the past few months, Oprah has landed several interviews with highly sought after guests for Oprah’s Next Chapter including Bobbi Kristina, Paris Jackson, 50 Cent, and the Kardashian clan.

It’s apparent that Oprah increasing her screen time equates to boosts in ratings for OWN.

Follow Chris Witherspoon on Twitter at @WitherspoonC