Bundesliga side Augsburg's website "temporarily crashed" after the club was drawn against Liverpool in the Europa League on Monday. The club's ticket shop was also "overwhelmed by demand," and a club statement on the website read, "FC Augsburg will announce info on ticket sales separately. We ask you to abstain from requests in writing or over the phone" (ESPN, 12/15). ... CTV, TSN and RDS announced on Tuesday a new and comprehensive media rights agreement with Augusta National Golf Club to become the exclusive Canadian broadcasters of The Masters. Beginning with the 80th edition of the tournament in April, full coverage of the third and final rounds of The Masters will now be broadcast on CTV, Canada's most-watched TV network (Bell Media). ... Northern Ireland's main gay and feminist rights organizations will "picket Sports Personality of the Year over the addition of the addition of the world boxing heavyweight champion Tyson Fury to the shortlist for the Belfast event." They "are angry that the BBC has kept Fury on the shortlist despite remarks he made in newspapers and radio which have been condemned as homophobic and sexist" (London GUARDIAN, 12/15). ... French TV channel L’Équipe 21 set a new ratings record for its broadcast of the second leg of the Biathlon World Cup last weekend. Saturday and Sunday the channel attracted an average viewership of 300,000, with a peak audience of 540,000 during the men’s relays on Sunday (L’ÉQUIPE, 12/14).
