 | |
| Founded | 1937 1937–1948 (as Norgesserien) 1948–1962 (as Hovedserien) 1963–1989 (as 1. divisjon) 1990–2016 (as Tippeligaen) 2017–present (as Eliteserien) |
|---|---|
| Country | Norway |
| Confederation | UEFA |
| Number of teams | 16 |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Relegation to | Norwegian First Division |
| Domestic cup(s) | Norwegian Cup |
| International cup(s) | UEFA Champions League UEFA Europa League UEFA Conference League |
| Current champions | Bodø/Glimt (3rd title) (2023) |
| Most championships | Rosenborg (26 titles) |
| Most appearances | Daniel Berg Hestad (473) |
| Top goalscorer | Sigurd Rushfeldt (172 goals) |
| TV partners | TV 2 Eleven Sports |
| Website | Eliteserien NFF Norsk Toppfotball |
| Current: 2024 Eliteserien | |
| Norwegian football league structure |
|---|
| Eliteserien (Tier 1) |
| First Division (Tier 2) |
| Second Division (Tier 3) |
| Third Division (Tier 4) |
| Fourth Division (Tier 5) |
| Fifth Division (Tier 6) |
| Sixth Division (Tier 7) |
| Seventh Division (Tier 8) |
| Eighth Division (Tier 9) |
| Ninth Division (Tier 10) |
Eliteserien (Norwegian pronunciation: [ɛˈlîːtəˌseːrɪən]) is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Norwegian First Division.
Seasons run from March to November with each team playing 30 matches (playing each other home and away). Most games are played on Sunday evenings.
Eliteserien was founded in 1937 as Norgesserien (lit. 'The League of Norway'), and the first season was the 1937–38 season. The structure and name of Eliteserien, along with Norway's other football leagues, has undergone frequent changes. The top level was renamed Hovedserien in 1948, 1. divisjon (now used by the second-level league in Norway) in 1963, then Tippeligaen (named for the main sponsor) in 1990. Starting with the 2017 season the league adopted the current Eliteserien, after NFF decided to totally drop any sponsor's names from the name of the league.[1] TV 2 have been the owners of the broadcasting rights since 2023.[2] The league generates NOK 400 million per year in domestic television rights.[3] The Norwegian top flight has been professional since 1992.[4] In 1995, Tippeligaen was expanded to 14 teams, and in 2009 it was further expanded to 16 teams.
Seventeen clubs have won the title since the inception of the league in 1937: Rosenborg (26), Fredrikstad (9), Viking (8), Lillestrøm (5), Molde (5), Vålerenga (5), Bodø/Glimt (3), Brann (3), Larvik Turn (3), Lyn (2), Start (2), Strømsgodset (2), Fram Larvik (1), Freidig (1), Moss (1), Skeid (1) and Stabæk (1). In 2010, Rosenborg became, and still remain, the only club to complete an Eliteserien campaign without losing a single game. The record of most points in a season is 81 by Bodø/Glimt in 2020. Since its establishment as a one-group top flight in 1963, forty-eight clubs have competed in Eliteserien.
- ^ Fotballforbund, Norges. "Tippeligaen endrer navn til Eliteserien i 2017". Retrieved 1 January 2017.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
tv2was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
discoverywas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Sæther, Esten O. (7 August 2009). "Alle heiet underveis". Dagbladet (in Norwegian). Retrieved 8 August 2009.