The Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) (English language: Federal Basketball League), for sponsorship reasons named easyCredit BBL, is the highest level league of professional club basketball in Germany. The league comprises 18 teams. A BBL season is split into a league stage and a playoff stage. At the end of the league stage, the top eight teams qualify for the playoff stage, and the teams positioned in the 17th and 18th places are relegated to a lower-tier league. The playoffs are played in a "Best of five" format. The winning team of the final round are crowned the German Champions of that season.
In addition to the league competition, all BBL teams compete for the German Basketball Cup.Ausschreibung BBL-Pokal 2009 BBL . Teams playing in the second league (ProA or ProB), or in a lower level Regionalliga, are also eligible to participate in the BBL-Cup.Ausschreibung für den Vereinspokal-Wettbewerb Herren 2008/2009 DBB . There are always 3 knock-out rounds that are played for the BBL-Cup. If more teams from the leagues below the BBL level apply for participation, then available places, and additional qualification rounds are added for them. The final four remaining teams determine the rankings for bronze, silver, and gold medals, in knock-out matches that are termed the BBL-TOP4. The gold winning team is the German Basketball Cup winner.
The Basketball Bundesliga is run by the Basketball Bundesliga GmbH. 74% of BBL GmbH is owned by the AG BBL e.V. (which is composed of the clubs), and 26% by the German Basketball Federation (DBB). beko-bbl.deGovernance of Professional Sports Leagues - Cooperatives versus Contracts, page 24 ftp.repec.org
History
In Germany, a national domestic basketball championship was first organised in 1939, and it was won by LSV Spandau. By 1944, almost all basketball activity in the country was forced to an end, due to the Second World War. In 1947, MTSV Schwabing München became the first champion of post-war divided Germany.
The creation of a split West German federal-league, consisting of one northern division and one southern division, each comprising 10 teams, was decided on by the German Basketball Federation (DBB) in 1964. On 1 October 1966, the first season of the so-called Basketball Bundesliga started. Starting with the 1971–72 season, the size of each division was reduced to 8 teams.
With the 1975–76 season, the league structure was changed into a ten team first league (1. Basketball Bundesliga), and a 20 team second league (2. Basketball Bundesliga). Only the second league was split into a northern and a southern division, of 10 teams each. In 1985, the top league was enlarged to a size of 12 teams, and two years later, each division of the second league was also enlarged to 12 teams.
In 1988, the championship mode "Best of five" was applied for the first time. Starting with the 1995–96 season, the first league consisted of 14 teams. The Basketball Bundesliga GmbH (BBL) was founded in October 1996.
The federal leagues received their own administration within the framework of the German Basketball Federation in 1997. Since then, the second league divisions have been administered by the "AG 2. Bundesliga", while the BBL has been responsible for the first league. Two years later, a contract was signed between the BBL and the German Basketball Federation, in which the federation transferred its marketing/events rights to the BBL, for a 10-year duration, and in return, the BBL agreed to pay an annual "amateur support fee" of DM 600,000 (€ 306,775).
Starting with the 2003–04 season, the top league was increased to 16 teams, and in 2006–07, it was further increased to its present size of 18 teams. For the following 2007–08 season, the structure of the second league was reshaped from its northern/southern divisions, into a ProA division, and a ProB division. These divisions remained under the administration by "AG 2. Bundesliga".
Between 1994 and 2001, the highest level German basketball league was called "Veltins Basketball Bundesliga", and from 2001, until 2003, the league was known as "s.Oliver Basketball Bundesliga". Bayer Giants Leverkusen hold the league titles won record, being the winner of 14 German Basketball Championships. However, since 1997, Alba Berlin has dominated the league, winning their 8th title in 2008. Twenty-one teams have won the championship, since its inception.
Since 2009, Brose Bamberg dominated the competition and won the title in four straight seasons (2009-2013).
Sponsorship In 2016, the BBL joined forces with Tipbet, a Malta-based betting company. This made Tipbet the Official Betting and Premium Sponsor of the league; the sponsorship agreement results in advertising activities throughout the arenas and online, and runs until 2018.
Arena rules Currently, all Bundesliga clubs must play in arenas that seat at least 3,000 people.
Logos, names, and sponsorship names 1966–2009Basketball Bundesliga 2009–2016Beko BBL 2016–2021easyCredit BBLFünf Jahre Vertrauen: easyCredit neuer Namensgeber und strategischer Partner der Basketball Bundesliga
Clubs Members of the 2026–27 Basketball Bundesliga:
Arenas and locations TeamCityArenaCapacityBamberg BasketsBambergBrose ArenaAlba BerlinBerlinUber ArenaTelekom Baskets BonnBonnTelekom DomeLöwen BraunschweigBraunschweigVolkswagen HalleNiners ChemnitzChemnitzChemnitz ArenaSkyliners FrankfurtFrankfurtSüwag Energie ARENAPhoenix HagenHagenKrollmann ArenaVeolia Towers HamburgHamburgInselpark ArenaScience City JenaJenaSparkassen-ArenaMHP Riesen LudwigsburgLudwigsburgMHP-ArenaBayern MunichMunichBMW Parkratiopharm UlmNeu-Ulmratiopharm arenaEWE Baskets OldenburgOldenburgGroße EWE ArenaRostock SeawolvesRostockStadthalle RostockVet-Concept Gladiators TrierTrierSWT-ArenaRasta VechtaVechtaRasta DomeSyntainics MBCWeißenfelsStadthalle WeißenfelsFIT/One Würzburg BasketsWürzburgTectake Arena
Title holders
1938–39: LSV Spandau 1939-46: Not held due to World War II 1946–47: MTSV Schwabing 1947–48: Turnerbund Heidelberg 1948–49: MTSV Schwabing 1949–50: Stuttgart-Degerloch 1950–51: Turnerbund Heidelberg 1951–52: Turnerbund Heidelberg 1952–53: Turnerbund Heidelberg 1953–54: Bayern Munich 1954–55: Bayern Munich 1955–56: ATV Düsseldorf 1956–57: USC Heidelberg 1957–58: USC Heidelberg 1958–59: USC Heidelberg 1959–60: USC Heidelberg 1960–61: USC Heidelberg 1961–62: USC Heidelberg 1962–63: Alemannia Aachen 1963–64: Alemannia Aachen 1964–65: Gießen 46ers 1965–66: USC Heidelberg 1966–67: Gießen 46ers 1967–68: Gießen 46ers 1968–69: VfL Osnabrück 1969–70: TuS 04 Leverkusen 1970–71: TuS 04 Leverkusen 1971–72: TuS 04 Leverkusen 1972–73: USC Heidelberg 1973–74: SSV Hagen 1974–75: Gießen 46ers 1975–76: TuS 04 Leverkusen 1976–77: USC Heidelberg 1977–78: Gießen 46ers 1978–79: TuS 04 Leverkusen 1979–80: ASC 1846 Göttingen 1980–81: Saturn 77 Köln 1981–82: Saturn 77 Köln 1982–83: ASC 1846 Göttingen 1983–84: ASC 1846 Göttingen 1984–85: Bayer 04 Leverkusen 1985–86: Bayer 04 Leverkusen 1986–87: Saturn 77 Köln 1987–88: Saturn 77 Köln 1988–89: Steiner Bayreuth 1989–90: Bayer 04 Leverkusen 1990–91: Bayer 04 Leverkusen 1991–92: Bayer 04 Leverkusen 1992–93: Bayer 04 Leverkusen 1993–94: Bayer 04 Leverkusen 1994–95: Bayer 04 Leverkusen 1995–96: Bayer 04 Leverkusen 1996–97: Alba Berlin 1997–98: Alba Berlin 1998–99: Alba Berlin 1999–00: Alba Berlin 2000–01: Alba Berlin 2001–02: Alba Berlin 2002–03: Alba Berlin 2003–04: Opel Skyliners 2004–05: GHP Bamberg 2005–06: RheinEnergie Köln 2006–07: Brose Baskets 2007–08: Alba Berlin 2008–09: EWE Baskets Oldenburg 2009–10: Brose Baskets 2010–11: Brose Baskets 2011–12: Brose Baskets 2012–13: Brose Baskets 2013–14: Bayern Munich 2014–15: Brose Baskets 2015–16: Brose Baskets 2016–17: Brose Bamberg 2017–18: Bayern Munich 2018–19: Bayern Munich 2019–20: Alba Berlin 2020–21: Alba Berlin 2021–22: Alba Berlin 2022–23: Ratiopharm Ulm 2023–24: Bayern Munich 2024–25: Bayern Munich 2025–26: Alba Berlin
Titles by club ChampionTitlesWinning years Bayer 04 Leverkusen 1969–70, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1975–76, 1978–79, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96 Alba Berlin 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2007–08, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2025–26 USC Heidelberg 1956–57, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1965–66, 1972–73, 1976–77 Bamberg Baskets 2004–05, 2006–07, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17 Bayern Munich 1953–54, 1954–55, 2013–14, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2023–24, 2024–25 Gießen 46ers 1964–65, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1974–75, 1977–78 Turnerbund Heidelberg 1947–48, 1950–51, 1951–52, 1952–53 Saturn Köln 1980–81, 1981–82, 1986–87, 1987–88 ASC 1846 Göttingen 1979–80, 1982–83, 1983–84 MTSV Schwabing 1946–47, 1948–49 Alemannia Aachen 1962–63, 1963–64 LSV Spandau 1938–39 Stuttgart-Degerloch 1949–50 ATV Düsseldorf 1955–56 Osnabrück 1968–69 SSV Hagen 1973–74 Steiner Bayreuth 1988–89 Skyliners Frankfurt 2003–04 RheinStars Köln 2005–06 EWE Baskets Oldenburg 2008–09 Ratiopharm Ulm 2022–23
Finals Season Home court advantage Result Home court disadvantage Regular season champion Record Bayer 04 Leverkusen Saturn Köln Bayer 04 Leverkusen Bayer 04 Leverkusen Saturn Köln Bayer 04 Leverkusen Steiner Bayreuth Bayer 04 Leverkusen Steiner Bayreuth Steiner Bayreuth Bayer 04 Leverkusen Steiner Bayreuth Bayer 04 Leverkusen BG Charlottenburg Bayer 04 Leverkusen Bayer 04 Leverkusen Alba Berlin Bayer 04 Leverkusen Bayer 04 Leverkusen TTL Bamberg Bayer 04 Leverkusen Bayer 04 Leverkusen Brandt Hagen Bayer 04 Leverkusen Bayer 04 Leverkusen Alba Berlin Bayer 04 Leverkusen Bayer 04 Leverkusen Alba Berlin Bayer 04 Leverkusen Alba Berlin Telekom Baskets Bonn Alba Berlin Alba Berlin Ratiopharm Ulm Alba Berlin Alba Berlin Telekom Baskets Bonn Alba Berlin Alba Berlin Bayer 04 Leverkusen Alba Berlin Alba Berlin Telekom Baskets Bonn Alba Berlin RheinEnergie Köln Alba Berlin Opel Skyliners Alba Berlin TSK Bamberg Telekom Baskets Bonn Opel Skyliners GHP Bamberg Alba Berlin GHP Bamberg Opel Skyliners Alba Berlin Alba Berlin RheinEnergie Köln Alba Berlin Brose Baskets Artland Dragons Alba Berlin Alba Berlin Telekom Baskets Bonn Alba Berlin EWE Baskets Oldenburg Telekom Baskets Bonn Alba Berlin Brose Baskets Deutsche Bank Skyliners EWE Baskets Oldenburg Brose Baskets Alba Berlin Brose Baskets Brose Baskets Ratiopharm Ulm Brose Baskets Brose Baskets EWE Baskets Oldenburg Brose Baskets Bayern Munich Alba Berlin Bayern Munich Brose Baskets Bayern Munich Brose Baskets Brose Baskets Ratiopharm Ulm Brose Baskets Brose Bamberg EWE Baskets Oldenburg Ratiopharm Ulm Bayern Munich Alba Berlin Bayern Munich Bayern Munich Alba Berlin Bayern Munich Alba Berlin Riesen Ludwigsburg Bayern Munich Alba Berlin Bayern Munich Riesen Ludwigsburg Alba Berlin Bayern Munich Alba Berlin Telekom Baskets Bonn Ratiopharm Ulm Telekom Baskets Bonn Bayern Munich Alba Berlin Bayern Munich Bayern Munich Ratiopharm Ulm Bayern Munich Bayern Munich Alba Berlin Bayern Munich
Awards
Finals MVPs
Player nationality by national team. Season Finals MVP2004–05 Chris Williams2005–06 Immanuel McElroy2006–07 Casey Jacobsen2007–08 Julius Jenkins2008–09 Rickey Paulding2009–10 Casey Jacobsen2010–11 Kyle Hines2011–12 P. J. Tucker2012–13 Anton Gavel2013–14 Malcolm Delaney2014–15 Brad Wanamaker2015–16 Darius Miller2016–17 Fabien Causeur2017–18 Danilo Barthel2018–19 Nihad Đedović2019–20 Marcos Knight2020–21 Jayson Granger2021–22 Johannes Thiemann2022–23 Yago dos Santos2023–24 Carsen Edwards2024–25 Shabazz Napier2025–26 Justin Bean
See also Basketball in Germany German Basketball League Champions German Basketball League Awards German Basketball Cup German Basketball Supercup German League All-Star Game
References
Sources All finals and scores