Premier League television viewing figures on Sky Sports were down 10% last season, with the lack of jeopardy in the title race and relegation believed to be behind the reduction.
It showed 128 games last season, while TNT Sports, which broadcasted 52 matches, had a 17% reduction in its year-on-year figures.
The drop in Sky viewers comes after two record-breaking seasons in 2022-23 and 2023-24, where Manchester City beat Arsenal to the title – the latter on the final day.
While Sky says numbers tracked closely with the 2023-24 season, there was a drop off over the final six weeks of the campaign.
That has been blamed on the title race being settled early and no compelling relegation narrative at the other end of the table.
It is also thought Sky’s new EFL deal, in which more than 1,000 games are broadcast a season, could have impacted Premier League figures with audiences offered more options.
Next season will see even more live Premier League matches on TV when a new record £6.7bn domestic broadcast deal starts.
Sky will show at least 215 top-flight games live, up from 128, including all games moved to Sundays because of clubs’ involvement in European competitions.
TNT Sports will retain its 52 games, including the Saturday 12:30 kick-offs and two midweek rounds, but there will be no Amazon Prime coverage for the first time in six years.
A report last month said live sport, including football, was being pirated on an “industrial scale” by people illegally streaming.
Bosses of the major rights holders, Sky and DAZN, have previously warned piracy is causing a financial crisis in the broadcast industry.
The increasing cost of rights deals results in higher prices for fans at home, especially if they choose to pay for multiple services to watch their team play.
Premier League television viewing figures on Sky Sports were down 10% last season, with the lack of jeopardy in the title race and relegation believed to be behind the reduction.
It showed 128 games last season, while TNT Sports, which broadcasted 52 matches, had a 17% reduction in its year-on-year figures.
The drop in Sky viewers comes after two record-breaking seasons in 2022-23 and 2023-24, where Manchester City beat Arsenal to the title – the latter on the final day.
While Sky says numbers tracked closely with the 2023-24 season, there was a drop off over the final six weeks of the campaign.
That has been blamed on the title race being settled early and no compelling relegation narrative at the other end of the table.
It is also thought Sky’s new EFL deal, in which more than 1,000 games are broadcast a season, could have impacted Premier League figures with audiences offered more options.
Next season will see even more live Premier League matches on TV when a new record £6.7bn domestic broadcast deal starts.
Sky will show at least 215 top-flight games live, up from 128, including all games moved to Sundays because of clubs’ involvement in European competitions.
TNT Sports will retain its 52 games, including the Saturday 12:30 kick-offs and two midweek rounds, but there will be no Amazon Prime coverage for the first time in six years.
A report last month said live sport, including football, was being pirated on an “industrial scale” by people illegally streaming.
Bosses of the major rights holders, Sky and DAZN, have previously warned piracy is causing a financial crisis in the broadcast industry.
The increasing cost of rights deals results in higher prices for fans at home, especially if they choose to pay for multiple services to watch their team play.
Parts of Downtown Los Angeles were under a nighttime curfew on Tuesday after LA Mayor Karen Bass declared a local emergency to “stop the vandalism” and “to stop the looting”.
The protests began on Friday after United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) authorities conducted a series of immigration raids across the city.
The next day, US President Donald Trump issued an executive order to deploy 2,000 National Guard troops to LA without California Governor Gavin Newsom’s consent. Trump ordered the deployment of 700 Marines and an additional 2,000 National Guard forces on Monday.
This provoked an ongoing battle between state and federal authorities, with Newsom calling Trump’s order a “blatant abuse of power” and Mayor Bass describing the deployment as an “intentional effort to sow chaos”.
On the federal side, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem referred to Los Angeles as a “city of criminals” and accused local officials of inaction.
(Al Jazeera)
How the protests unfolded
Friday, June 6
Morning: ICE conducted coordinated raids across LA, targeting a Home Depot, garment factories, warehouses and street vendor locations. At least 44 individuals were arrested for “immigration violations”. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said they included gang members and criminals.
The raids quickly triggered protests and demonstrations blocked entrances and exits for the Edward R Roybal Federal Building in Downtown LA, where the detainees were being processed.
Afternoon: David Huerta, president of Service Employees International Union (SEIU), one of the largest and most influential labour unions in the country, was arrested outside a garment warehouse where protesters had gathered to oppose an immigration raid. Huerta was taken to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Downtown LA, where protesters assembled in solidarity.
Evening: The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) declared the area an unlawful assembly, deployed tear gas, issued tactical alerts and made several arrests.
Los Angeles Police Department officers move to disperse a protest after federal immigration authorities conducted an operation on Friday, June 6, 2025, in Los Angeles [Jae C Hong/AP Photo]
Saturday, June 7
Morning: The next morning, reports emerged of more immigration raids, this time outside a Home Depot store in Paramount, about 26km (16 miles) southeast of downtown LA, where day labourers often gather in hopes of being hired for short-term jobs.
There, protesters clashed with security forces, who used tear gas and flashbang grenades to disperse the crowd.
(Al Jazeera)
Afternoon: The protests escalated as demonstrators blocked streets, threw stones and set a vehicle on fire. The LA County Sheriff declares the gathering an unlawful assembly and uses tear gas to disperse the crowd.
BREAKING: ICE raid and community resistance in front of Home Depot in Paramount, California. pic.twitter.com/WdM1Gr93Wi
Evening: President Trump orders at least 2,000 National Guard troops to be deployed to Los Angeles, federalising them under Title 10 of the US Code, which allows the federal government to mobilise National Guard units without the consent of state governors.
It marked the first time since 1965 that a president had deployed National Guard troops to a state without a governor’s request.
(Al Jazeera)
Sunday, June 8
Morning: About 300 National Guard troops arrive in downtown LA, Paramount, and neighbouring Compton to secure federal sites, prompting anger and fear among many residents.
On the most intense day of demonstrations so far, thousands of protesters gathered in downtown LA near the Metropolitan Detention Center, where they were met by National Guard troops deployed to support immigration officials.
(Al Jazeera)
Afternoon: Large crowds march from City Hall to the Federal Detention Center. The LAPD once again issues dispersal orders and begins arrests.
Protesters briefly block sections of the 101 Freeway, disrupting one of Los Angeles’ busiest highways. Some demonstrators also set fire to several self-driving cars, escalating tensions further. In response, authorities deployed tear gas, rubber bullets and flashbang grenades to disperse the crowd.
A man holds signs as Waymo autonomous vehicles burn, as protesters clash with law enforcement in the streets surrounding the federal building during a protest following federal immigration operations in Los Angeles, California, on June 8, 2025 [Ringo Chiu/AFP]
Monday, June 9
Morning: After a relatively calm night, the fourth day begins with renewed ICE raids targeting workplaces across Southern California, including in suburban areas like Santa Ana and Paramount.
Thousands gather for a large rally at Grand Park in downtown Los Angeles, organised by the SEIU. The demonstration, joined by local officials and members of Congress, calls for an end to the raids, the immediate release of the SEIU’s Huerta, and the withdrawal of National Guard troops from the city. Huerta is later released on a $50,000 bond.
People attend a rally against the detention of SEIU California and SEIU-USWW union president David Huerta amid federal immigration sweeps, with Los Angeles City Hall in the background, in downtown Los Angeles, on June 9, 2025 [David Ryder/Reuters]
Afternoon: The state of California files a lawsuit against President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, arguing that the Title 10 deployment of National Guard troops unlawfully oversteps state sovereignty.
Trump doubles the number of National Guard troops from 2,000 to 4,000, while also deploying 700 Marines in a domestic deployment not seen in decades.
Marines stand near vehicles as they prepare to depart for Los Angeles on June 9, 2025 [Handout/US Northern Command via X/Reuters]
Evening: Protests continue around the federal building, with a mix of peaceful rallies and sporadic clashes with police. Authorities deploy tear gas and rubber bullets, and hundreds of arrests are reported throughout the day.
Tuesday, June 10
The protests entered their fifth day, with demonstrations remaining mixed, many peaceful, while others involved vandalism, looting, rock throwing and the use of crowd-control measures.
Newsom and Bass continued to condemn the military presence as illegal and damaging, warning it tarnishes the city’s image as it prepares for major events like the 2028 Olympics and the World Cup. A Pentagon official estimated that the deployment of Marines and National Guard troops to Los Angeles will cost about $134m.
In this image taken from video, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass gives a news conference following days of unrest, Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in Los Angeles [ABC7 Los Angeles via AP]
Despite mounting criticism, President Donald Trump doubles down on his decision to deploy the National Guard and Marines to confront protesters in Los Angeles.
Mayor Bass announces a curfew for a portion of the downtown area, effective from 8pm on Tuesday until 6am on Wednesday. The curfew covers an area of approximately 20sq km (7.7sq miles).
The city of Los Angeles at a glance
The state of California has the largest Latino or Hispanic population of any US state, both in total numbers and as a share of its population, with nearly half of its residents identifying as such in the 2024 Census.
Los Angeles is the United States’s second-largest city, after New York City, with a population of some 3.8 million residents within its city limits. The city is home to more than 1.35 million migrants, which means that one in every three residents is a migrant, according to the LA city government in 2024.
What are sanctuary cities?
Los Angeles is one of many self-claimed sanctuary cities across the US, which limit their cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, particularly US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), to protect undocumented citizens from detention and deportation.
Sanctuary laws differ from place to place. Some ban asking about immigration status, while others only refuse to hold people on ICE detainers. Being in a sanctuary city or state does not mean someone is safe from deportation. ICE can still operate and arrest people in sanctuary jurisdictions.
(Al Jazeera)
Nationwide protests against ICE deportations
The most recent protests in LA are part of a series of continuing demonstrations by civil society and various groups opposing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) due to the detention and deportation of community members.
According to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), an organisation that tracks political violence and protests worldwide, at least 2,112 demonstrations against Immigration and Customs Enforcement have occurred since January 2025.
Austrian police investigating a school mass shooting in the city of Graz this week said they had found discarded plans for a bomb attack at the suspect’s home, as the grief-stricken country embarked on three days of national mourning.
Investigators said on Wednesday that they had discovered abandoned plans for a bombing, a non-functional pipe bomb and a farewell letter and video during a search of the home of the dead suspect, who shot dead 10 people during the previous day’s rampage at the city’s BORG Dreierschützengasse high school, before pulling the trigger on himself in a school toilet.
Police said the 21-year-old, a former student of the school, had acted alone, his farewell note revealing no motive for the attack. Austrian media reported the suspected gunman had been bullied at school, but police have not confirmed that as of yet.
The mass shooting killed nine students – six girls and three boys aged between 14 and 17, one of whom had Polish citizenship – as well as a teacher, leaving 11 wounded.
Austria came to a standstill at 10am (08:00 GMT) on Wednesday – the time of the previous day’s carnage – to commemorate the dead. There will be one minute’s silence on the first of three days of national mourning following what appeared to be the deadliest attack in the country’s post-World War II history.
In Vienna, St Stephen’s Cathedral rang its bells, collective transport came to a halt and public broadcaster ORF paused all radio and TV programmes, broadcasting images of candles and a message to say the country was mourning the victims.
In Graz, Austria’s second-biggest city, close to where the assailant lived with his mother, hundreds of people lined the central square, laying candles and flowers in front of the city hall, adding to a growing memorial to the victims.
‘Surreal’
The suspected gunman, who has not been formally identified, had not completed his studies at the school, according to the authorities.
“It’s surreal, you can’t describe or really understand it,” said Ennio Resnik, a pupil at the school, speaking to reporters outside a centre where students were being offered counselling.
Some of the students gathered there cried, while others held each other.
Franz Ruf, director general of public security, told ORF on Tuesday that investigations into the motive were moving swiftly. “We don’t want to speculate at this point,” he said.
Police have said that he used two weapons, a shotgun and a pistol, which he owned legally.
By Wednesday morning, the authority that runs hospitals in Graz said that all patients were in a stable condition.
Nine were still in intensive care units, with one needing a further operation on a facial wound and a second on a knee injury, while another two had been moved to regular wards.
Chris Robinson has died at the age of 86. The star of General Hospital and WWII series 12 O’Clock High died in his sleep, a friend confirmed in a sad update on social media.
Just For A Week co-star and friend MJ Allen wrote on Facebook : “Prolific Hollywood actor Chris Robinson has passed away at the age of 86. He peacefully passed in his sleep at his ranch near Sedona, Arizona at 12:30am on June 9, 2025. He had been in heart failure for some time, and is his official cause of death.
“His more than 100 roles in television and feature film span from 1957-2022. Most notably, his longtime role as “Dr. Rick Webber” on the ABC daytime drama General Hospital made him a worldwide television star. While on the show, Chris launched the careers of John Stamos, Rick Springfield, and Richard Dean Anderson.”
General Hospital star Chris Robinson has died ( WireImage)
Chris was known for his roles in huge shows like General Hospital, where he played Dr. Rick Webber for 11 years. He made his return to the show back in 2002 but his character was killed after being bludgeoned to death by a candlestick.
He also starred as Jack Hamilton in The Bold and the Beautiful from 1992-2002 and made a final appearance three years later. His role in General Hospital kept him in the spotlight in the infamous Vicks Formula 44 cough syrup advert.
“I’m not a doctor, but I do play one on TV,” he said in the ad. He was eventually replaced by Peter Bergman, an actor who played a doctor on All My Children after Chris faced some legal headaches with income tax evasion. He pleaded guilty to federal income tax evasion in 1985 but was allowed to serve his sentence on nights and weekends and thus continued in his acting role.
Chris in General Hospital ( Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
His son, also called Chris, said he was “conceived in [his dad’s] dressing room in General Hospital” and also claimed that his father had “practically had as many relationships in his real life as he’s had in the movies”.
In his documentary, B*****d: An Illegitimate Film, Chris said of his siblings and half siblings: “No matter how we came to be, all of us are connected. And when our father is gone, even as some of us don’t even consider him to be their father, we’ll still have each other to look to for love and support. It might not be normal, but it’s certainly a hell of a lot more interesting.”
Chris had nine children with six different women including Shane, Coby, Christian, Christopher, Chris and Taylor, and grandchildren Ivy, Ava, Davey, Brooks and Knox, who all survive the star.
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South Africa’s Marco Jansen juggles the ball before successfully completing the catch at slip to dismiss Australia’s Steve Smith for 66 runs on day one of the ICC Test Championship final at Lord’s.
