History of Bundesliga in Timeline

The Bundesliga is Germany's premier professional football league, featuring 18 teams competing from August to May. Functioning on a promotion and relegation system with the 2. Bundesliga, matches are primarily held on weekends. Bundesliga clubs also participate in the DFB-Pokal cup, with the league champion earning a spot in the DFL-Supercup.

January 1900: Foundation of Deutscher Fußball Bund (DFB)

On 28 January 1900, the Deutscher Fußball Bund (DFB) was founded in Leipzig with 86 member clubs.

May 1903: First Recognized National Championship Team

On 31 May 1903, VfB Leipzig became the first recognized national championship team, beating DFC Prague 7–2.

1903: Recognition of all German men's titles since 1903

In November 2005, the DFB decided to allow all former champions to display a single star inscribed with the number of titles, including all German men's titles since 1903.

1949: Introduction of Semi-Professionalism

In 1949, part-time (semi-) professionalism was introduced in German football.

1950: Formation of DS-Oberliga

In 1950, a separate league was established in East Germany with the formation of the DS-Oberliga (Deutscher Sportausschuss Oberliga).

1958: Renaming of DS-Oberliga

In 1958, the DS-Oberliga was renamed the Football Oberliga DFV, and was generally referred to as the DDR-Liga or DDR-Oberliga.

July 1962: Creation of Bundesliga

On 28 July 1962, the Bundesliga was created in Dortmund at the Westfalenhallen during the annual DFB convention.

1962: Bundesliga Founded

In 1962, the Bundesliga was founded in Dortmund, Germany, by the Deutscher Fußball-Bund (German Football Association).

August 1963: First Bundesliga Games Played

The first Bundesliga games were played on 24 August 1963, with 1. FC Köln becoming the first Bundesliga champion.

1963: Relegation Rules

From 1963, two, or later three, teams were relegated from the Bundesliga automatically.

1963: Start of Bundesliga Championships

From the 1963–64 season, 63 Bundesliga championships have been played.

1963: First Bundesliga Season

In 1963, the first Bundesliga season started, marking a new era in German football.

1963: Recognition of sides that have won three or more championships since 1963

Since 1963 sides that have won three or more championships are recognized by the display of gold stars on their team badges and jerseys.

1963: Beginning of the modern Bundesliga era

Since 1963, in the modern Bundesliga era, FC Bayern Munich has won a record 32 titles (of 59 available).

1963: Special logo developed for Bundesliga's 50th anniversary

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Bundesliga, a special logo was developed for the 2012–13 season, featuring a "50" and "1963–2013".

1974: Introduction of the 2. Bundesliga

In 1974, the 2. Bundesliga (2nd Bundesliga) was introduced as the second tier of German football.

1974: Recognition of all German women's titles since 1974

In November 2005, the DFB decided to allow all former champions to display a single star inscribed with the number of titles, including all German women's titles since 1974.

1976: Bundesliga Leads UEFA Ranking

From 1976, the Bundesliga led the UEFA ranking until 1984.

1981: Promotion/Relegation System in Use

From 1981, a German system of promotion and relegation was in use.

1981: End of automatic Relegation

Until 1981, two, or later three, teams were relegated from the Bundesliga automatically.

1984: End of Bundesliga's Reign in UEFA Ranking

In 1984, the Bundesliga's lead in the UEFA ranking came to an end.

1990: East German Leagues Merged

Following German reunification in 1990, the East German leagues were merged into the West German system.

1990: Bundesliga Leads UEFA Ranking Again

In 1990, the Bundesliga again led the UEFA ranking.

1991: Teams Seeded into Bundesliga

In 1991, Dynamo Dresden and FC Hansa Rostock were seeded into the top-tier Bundesliga division.

1991: Promotion/Relegation System in Use

Until 1991, a German system of promotion and relegation was in use.

1992: Introduction of a New Relegation System

From 1992 until 2008, a system was used in which the bottom three finishers of the Bundesliga were automatically relegated.

1992: Founding of the J.League of Japan

In 1992, the J.League of Japan was founded, strongly influenced by the philosophy of the Bundesliga.

1995: Introduction of Three Points for a Win

Since the 1995–96 season, a victory has been worth three points in Bundesliga, while a draw remains worth a single point.

1996: Bundesliga given its own logo

For the first time in 1996, the Bundesliga was given its own logo to distinguish itself.

1997: Dortmund won Champions League

In 1997, Borussia Dortmund won the Champions League.

2000: Youth Academies Required

After 2000, the German Football Association and the Bundesliga required every club to run a youth academy.

2002: Introduction of Opening Matches

Starting with the 2002-03 season, opening matches were introduced to feature defending champions on Friday nights.

2004: Borussia Dortmund's Debt

In 2004, Borussia Dortmund reported a debt of €118.8 million.

2004: Introduction of "Verdiente Meistervereine"

In 2004, the honor of "Verdiente Meistervereine" (roughly "distinguished champion clubs") was introduced, following a custom first practiced in Italy to recognize sides that have won three or more championships since 1963 by the display of gold stars on their team badges and jerseys.

November 2005: DFB allows all former champions to display a single star

In November 2005, the DFB decided to allow all former champions to display a single star inscribed with the number of titles, including all German men's titles since 1903, women's titles since 1974 and East German titles.

2006: Dortmund narrow escape from liquidation

In 2006, Dortmund narrowly escaped liquidation after facing financial difficulties.

2006: Gazprom Becomes Major Sponsor

In 2006, Gazprom became a major sponsor of Bundesliga football.

2008: Bundesliga Clubs Profitable

After the 2008–09 season, 11 of the 18 Bundesliga clubs were profitable due to tight restrictions on debt.

2008: End of the Bottom-Three Relegation System

In 2008, the system where the bottom three finishers of the Bundesliga were automatically relegated ended.

2008: Bayern Munich's Net Profit

In the 2008–09 season, Bayern Munich made a net profit of just €2.5 million.

2008: Reinstatement of Promotion/Relegation System

In the 2008–09 season, the Bundesliga reinstated an earlier German system of promotion and relegation.

2008: 3. Liga Becomes Professional League

Since 2008, the 3. Liga (3rd League) in Germany became a professional league.

September 2009: UEFA Financial Fair Play Regulations Agreed Upon

In September 2009, the clubs in the Bundesliga have been subject to regulations not unlike the UEFA Financial Fair Play Regulations.

2009: Schalke 04 and Dortmund's Financials

In 2009, Schalke 04 made a net loss of €30.4 million, while Borussia Dortmund GmbH & Co. KGaA made a net loss of just €2.9 million.

2009: Bundesliga's Turnover

In the 2009–10 season, the Bundesliga's turnover was €1.7bn, and it was the only European football league where clubs collectively made a profit.

June 2010: Clubs officially allowed to wear stars while playing in the Bundesliga

Since June 2010, the following clubs have been officially allowed to wear stars while playing in the Bundesliga. The number in parentheses is for Bundesliga titles won.

2010: New Bundesliga logo announced for the 2010-11 season

A new logo was announced for the 2010–11 season in order to modernise the brand logo for all media platforms.

2010: Increased Youth Academy Spending

As of 2010, the Bundesliga and second Bundesliga spent €75m a year on youth academies, training five thousand players aged 12–18.

2012: FC Bayern Munich won 11 consecutive titles

Between the 2012–13 season and the 2022–23 season, FC Bayern Munich won 11 consecutive titles.

2012: Special logo developed for Bundesliga's 50th anniversary

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Bundesliga, a special logo was developed for the 2012–13 season, featuring a "50" and "1963–2013".

2013: Bayern Munich's Winning Streak Begins

From 2013, Bayern Munich has won each year until 2023 in the Bundesliga.

2013: Special logo developed for Bundesliga's 50th anniversary

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Bundesliga, a special logo was developed for the 2012–13 season, featuring a "50" and "1963–2013".

July 2014: Clubs allowed to wear one star while playing outside the Bundesliga

As of July 2014, clubs are allowed to wear one star while playing outside the Bundesliga, considering Bundesliga titles and other national championships.

2015: StarTimes acquires exclusive television rights for Sub-Saharan Africa

In 2015, StarTimes, a digital TV operator, acquired the exclusive television rights for Bundesliga in Sub-Saharan Africa for five years, starting from the 2015–16 season.

December 2016: Announcement of new Bundesliga logo

In December 2016, it was announced that a new logo would be used for the 2017–18 season, modified slightly for digitisation requirements, featuring a matte look.

2017: TV Broadcast

From 2017, Bundesliga matches were broadcast on TV in Germany on Sky Deutschland and Eurosport.

2017: Bernd Heynemann's interview with the Leipziger Volkszeitung

In 2017, former East German referee Bernd Heynemann concluded in an interview with the Leipziger Volkszeitung: "The BFC is not ten times champions because the referees only whistled for Dynamo. They were already strong as a bear."

2017: Bundesliga outperformed the English Premier League in online influence in China

In 2017, the Bundesliga outperformed the English Premier League in online influence in China, having been accredited for its open embrace of live-streaming and fast-forward visions.

2017: New logo used for the 2017-18 season

In December 2016, it was announced that a new logo would be used for the 2017–18 season, modified slightly for digitisation requirements, featuring a matte look.

May 2018: Hamburger SV Relegated

On 12 May 2018, Hamburger SV, a founding club, was relegated from the Bundesliga for the first time.

2018: TV Broadcast

From 2018 to 2019, Bundesliga matches were broadcast on TV in Germany on Sky Deutschland and Eurosport.

2018: Simulcasts of High-Profile Games

Starting with the 2018–19 season, Sky began arranging simulcasts of high-profile Saturday games on free TV to promote its coverage of the league.

April 2019: Revierderby Broadcast on Das Erste

In April 2019, the Revierderby was broadcast on Das Erste.

2019: DAZN Sublicenses Broadcast Rights

Prior to the 2019–20 season, Eurosport sublicensed its broadcast rights to sports streaming service DAZN.

2020: Bundesliga on Taiwanese television until 2020-21 season

Bundesliga was last aired on Taiwanese television until the 2020-21 season.

2020: DAZN Broadcast of Games

From 2020 to 2021 season, DAZN broadcast games previously allocated to Eurosport.

2020: ESPN Holds Rights in the United States

Since the beginning of the 2020–21 season, ESPN has held rights to broadcast the Bundesliga in the United States.

2021: Change in Kick Off Times

Starting with the 2021–22 season, kick off times were changed with Friday matches starting at 8:30 pm.

2022: FC Bayern Munich won 11 consecutive titles

Between the 2012–13 season and the 2022–23 season, FC Bayern Munich won 11 consecutive titles.

2023: Bayern Munich's Winning Streak Ends

In 2023, Bayern Munich concluded its streak of consecutive Bundesliga wins.

2023: End of Bayern Munich's Consecutive Title Streak

In 2023, Bayern Munich's streak of eleven consecutive Bundesliga titles concluded.

2024: Bundesliga's UEFA Ranking

As of the 2024-25 season, the Bundesliga ranks fourth in UEFA’s league coefficient.

2024: Bayern Munich Secures Bundesliga Title

In 2024, Bayern Munich secured the Bundesliga title with two games to spare.

2024: Bundesliga airings on MNC Group's television channels

In 2024, Bundesliga will be aired on MNC Group's television channels, pay TV, and OTT, but it will not be available on beIN Sports Asia in Indonesia.

2024: ELTA TV expecting to air Bundesliga

In 2024, Taiwan's ELTA TV is expected to air Bundesliga, marking the first time Bundesliga has returned to Taiwanese television since the 2020-21 season.

August 2025: BBC to Broadcast Matches

From August 2025, the BBC will have the rights to broadcast one Bundesliga match a week until 2027 in the United Kingdom.

August 2025: MBC Group, Mark Goldbridge, The Overlap, BBC, Sky Sports, Amazon Prime Video, and Bundesliga's official YouTube channel acquire broadcast rights

In August 2025, MBC Group signed a three-year deal to broadcast all Bundesliga games on Shahid and three matches a week on free-to-air (FTA) channel MBC Action across the MENA. That same month, English YouTuber Mark Goldbridge secured rights to stream the 2025–26 season on his channel "That's Football", alongside another YouTube channel "The Overlap", while the BBC, Sky Sports, Amazon Prime Video, and Bundesliga's official YouTube channel also acquired UK and Ireland broadcast rights.