History of Bundesliga in Timeline

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

January 1900: Founding of Deutscher Fußball Bund

On January 1900, a national association, the Deutscher Fußball Bund (DFB) had been founded in Leipzig with 86 member clubs.

May 1903: First National Championship

On 31 May 1903, VfB Leipzig beat DFC Prague 7–2 in a game played at Altona, becoming the first recognized national championship team.

1903: 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.

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: League Renamed

In 1958, the DS-Oberliga league was renamed the Football Oberliga DFV.

July 1962: Bundesliga Created

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

1962: Bundesliga Founded

In 1962, the Bundesliga was founded in Dortmund.

August 1963: First Bundesliga Games

In August 1963, the first Bundesliga games were played.

1963: Automatic Relegation Introduced

From 1963 until 1981, two or three teams were automatically relegated from the Bundesliga.

1963: Start of Bundesliga Championships

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

1963: First Bundesliga Season

In 1963, the first Bundesliga season started in 1963–64.

1963: Special Logo Developed for 50th Anniversary of Bundesliga

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

1963: Bayern Munich's Dominance Since 1963

Since 1963, FC Bayern Munich has won a record 34 titles (of 61 available) in the modern Bundesliga era. A greater level of success than that of all their rivals combined.

1963: Championships since 1963

Since 1963, the honour of "Verdiente Meistervereine" recognizes sides that have won three or more championships.

1974: Introduction of 2. Bundesliga

In 1974, the 2. Bundesliga became the second tier of German football.

1974: 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 German women's titles since 1974.

1976: Bundesliga Led UEFA Ranking

From 1976, the Bundesliga led the UEFA ranking.

1981: German System of Promotion and Relegation

From 1981, the Bundesliga used an earlier German system of promotion and relegation.

1981: End of Original Relegation System

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

1984: End of Bundesliga Led UEFA Ranking

In 1984, the Bundesliga stopped leading the UEFA ranking.

1990: German Reunification

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

1990: Bundesliga Led UEFA Ranking

In 1990, the Bundesliga led the UEFA ranking.

1991: East German Teams Seeded

In 1991–92 Bundesliga, Dynamo Dresden and FC Hansa Rostock were seeded into the top-tier Bundesliga division.

1991: End of German System of Promotion and Relegation

Until 1991, the Bundesliga used an earlier German system of promotion and relegation.

1992: Introduction of New Relegation System

From 1992 until 2008, the Bundesliga used a system where the bottom three finishers were automatically relegated.

1992: J.League of Japan Founded

In 1992, the J.League of Japan was founded, strongly influenced by the philosophy of the Bundesliga. Since then, the J.League has established itself as one of the best football leagues in Asia.

1995: Change in Points System

Since the 1995–96 season, a victory has been worth three points, while a draw remains worth a single point, and zero points are given for a loss.

1996: Bundesliga Given Own Logo

In 1996, the Bundesliga was given its own logo to distinguish itself.

1997: Dortmund's Champions League Win

In 1997, Borussia Dortmund won the Champions League.

2000: Youth Academy Requirement

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 on the first match day.

2004: Borussia Dortmund Debt

In 2004, Borussia Dortmund reported a debt of €118.8 million (£83 million).

2004: Introduction of "Verdiente Meistervereine"

In 2004, the honour of "Verdiente Meistervereine" (roughly "distinguished champion clubs") was introduced 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 Decides to Allow 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 Escapes Liquidation

In 2006, Borussia Dortmund narrowly escaped liquidation.

2006: Gazprom Sponsorship

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

2008: Bundesliga Financials

After the 2008–09 season, 11 of the 18 Bundesliga clubs were profitable.

2008: End of Automatic Relegation System

In 2008, the automatic relegation system ended.

2008: Bayern Munich Net Profit

In 2008–09 season, the leading German club 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

Since 2008, the 3. Liga in Germany has been a professional league.

September 2009: UEFA Financial Fair Play Regulations

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

2009: Schalke 04 Net Loss

In 2009 financial year, Schalke 04 made a net loss of €30.4 million.

2009: Bundesliga Turnover

In the 2009–10 season the Bundesliga's turnover was €1.7bn, with a profit.

June 2010: Clubs Officially Allowed to Wear Stars in the Bundesliga

Since June 2010, certain clubs have been officially allowed to wear stars while playing in the Bundesliga, based on the number of Bundesliga titles won.

2010: Increased Youth Academy Investment

As of 2010 the Bundesliga and second Bundesliga spend €75m a year on these youth academies.

2010: New Logo Announced for Bundesliga

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

2012: Special Logo Developed for 50th Anniversary of Bundesliga

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

2012: Bayern Munich's Consecutive Titles Since 2012

Since the 2012–13 season, the Bavarian club won 11 consecutive titles between the 2012–13 season and the 2022–23 season.

2013: Special Logo Developed for 50th Anniversary of Bundesliga

In 2012, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Bundesliga, a special logo was developed for the 2012–13 season, featuring a "50" and "1963–2013". Following the season, the 2010 logo was restored.

2013: Bayern Munich Dominance Begins

In 2013, Bayern Munich began a streak of eleven consecutive Bundesliga titles.

July 2014: System Adopted for Clubs to Wear One Star Outside the Bundesliga

As of July 2014, a system of one star designation was adopted for use, taking into account not only Bundesliga titles but also other national championships. Certain clubs are allowed to wear one star while playing outside the Bundesliga, displaying the total league championships won over the course of German football history.

2015: StarTimes Acquires Exclusive Television Rights for Sub-Saharan Africa

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

December 2016: Announcement of New Bundesliga Logo for 2017-18 Season

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

2017: Bundesliga Broadcast on TV

From 2017 to 2018 to 2018–19, Bundesliga matches were broadcast on TV in Germany on Sky Deutschland and Eurosport.

2017: New Bundesliga Logo Used

In 2017, a new logo would be used for the 2017–18 season, modified slightly for digitisation requirements, featuring a matte look.

2017: Former East German Referee Speaks Out

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

2017: Bundesliga Outperforms 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.

May 2018: Hamburger SV Relegated

On May 2018, Hamburger SV was the last founding club to be relegated for the first time.

2018: Bundesliga Broadcast on TV

From 2017 to 2018 to 2018–19, Bundesliga matches were broadcast on TV in Germany on Sky Deutschland and Eurosport.

2018: Sky Simulcasts 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 Aired on Taiwanese Television

Bundesliga aired on Taiwanese television during the 2020-21 season.

2020: DAZN Sublicenses Broadcast Rights

Eurosport sublicensed its broadcast rights to sports streaming service DAZN, which will broadcast games previously allocated to Eurosport until the conclusion of the 2020–21 season.

2020: ESPN Broadcast Rights

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

2021: Kick Off Times Changed

Starting with the 2021–22 season, kick off times were changed with Friday matches starting at 8:30 pm, Saturdays at 3:30 pm and 6:30 pm, and Sundays at 3:30 pm, 5:30 pm and 7:30 pm.

2022: Bayern Munich's Consecutive Titles Until 2022

Since the 2012–13 season, the Bavarian club won 11 consecutive titles between the 2012–13 season and the 2022–23 season.

2023: End of Bayern Munich Dominance

In 2023, Bayern Munich finished their eleven consecutive Bundesliga titles.

2024: High Attendance

During the 2024–25 season, the Bundesliga averaged 38,657 spectators per game, making it the second-highest attended association football league globally.

2024: Bundesliga Airing in Indonesia

In 2024, Bundesliga is aired on MNC Group's television channels, pay TV, and OTT in Indonesia. It was previously unavailable on beIN Sports Asia in the country since the previous season.

2024: Bundesliga Returns to Taiwanese Television

In 2024, Taiwan's ELTA TV is expected to air Bundesliga, marking its return to Taiwanese television since the 2020-21 season.

2024: Bundesliga Ranking

In 2024, the Bundesliga ranked fourth in UEFA’s league coefficient.

August 2025: BBC Broadcast Rights

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

August 2025: MBC Group Signs Deal to Broadcast Bundesliga Games and YouTuber Secures Rights to Stream

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 region. Also, in August 2025, 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.