document_title: Pretty Little Liars

question_text: where did pretty little liars go to college

text: Pretty Little Liars

text: Premise[edit]

text: Set in the small suburban town of Rosewood, Pennsylvania (not far from Philadelphia), the series follows the lives of five girls: Spencer Hastings, Alison DiLaurentis, Aria Montgomery, Hanna Marin and Emily Fields, whose clique falls apart after the leader of the group, Alison, goes missing. One year later, the remaining estranged friends are reunited as they begin receiving messages from a mysterious villain named "A" or "A.D.", who threatens and tortures them for the mistakes they have made before and after Alison was alive. At first, they think it is Alison herself, but after her body is found, the girls realize that someone else is planning on ruining their lives.[2]

text:
Season
Episodes
Originally aired
Nielsen ratings

First aired
Last aired
Viewers
(in millions)
Adults
(18-49)

1
22
June 8, 2010 (2010-06-08)
March 21, 2011 (2011-03-21)
2.87
1.0

2
25
June 14, 2011 (2011-06-14)
March 19, 2012 (2012-03-19)
2.68
1.0

3
24
June 5, 2012 (2012-06-05)
March 19, 2013 (2013-03-19)
2.59[3]
1.1[3]

4
24
June 11, 2013 (2013-06-11)
March 18, 2014 (2014-03-18)
2.53[4]
1.1[4]

5
25
June 10, 2014 (2014-06-10)
March 24, 2015 (2015-03-24)
2.01[5]
0.9[5]

6
20
June 2, 2015 (2015-06-02)
March 15, 2016 (2016-03-15)
1.72[6]
0.8[6]

7
20
June 21, 2016 (2016-06-21)
June 27, 2017 (2017-06-27)
1.11[7]
0.6[7]

text: Production[edit]

text: Originally developed as a television series by book packaging company Alloy Entertainment, the idea was described as "Desperate Housewives for teens."[8] Alloy met with author Shepard, and gave her the property to develop into a book series.[8] With Alloy and Warner Horizon Television interested in producing Pretty Little Liars as a television series for years, it was first planned for The WB in 2005 with a different writer until the network shut down in early 2006 and reestablished as The CW later that year.[9] The first novel was published by HarperTeen in October 2006.[10] In June 2008, Alloy noted that it was developing a Pretty Little Liars television pilot for ABC Family,[8] with the novels adapted for television.[9] After the pilot was shot in Vancouver, filming for the rest of the series moved to Los Angeles.[11][12] The series was primarily filmed at the Warner Bros. studio and backlot in the city of Burbank, near Los Angeles.[13] In June 2012, the series was selected by lottery for a California film and TV tax credit.[14]

text: Casting[edit]

text: ABC Family began casting for a Pretty Little Liars television pilot in October 2009.[9] Lucy Hale was cast as Aria Montgomery in the project, followed by Troian Bellisario as Spencer Hastings and Ian Harding as Ezra Fitz in November 2009.[15] In December 2009, The Futon Critic confirmed the casting of Ashley Benson as Hanna Marin and Shay Mitchell as Emily Fields, as well as the addition of Laura Leighton as Ashley Marin, Nia Peeples as Pam Fields, Roark Critchlow as Tom Marin, and Bianca Lawson as Maya.[16][17] Mitchell had initially auditioned for the role of Spencer and then tried for Emily.[18] The Hollywood Reporter also noted that Torrey DeVitto and Sasha Pieterse landed recurring roles in the pilot.[17] The Alloy website later confirmed that Pieterse would be playing Alison DiLaurentis and DeVitto would be Melissa Hastings, also mentioning the casting of Janel Parrish as Mona Vanderwaal.[19] On January 27, 2010, ABC Family picked up the series for 10 episodes, set to premiere in June 2010.[2] In April 2010, the role of Aria's father Byron was recast with Chad Lowe,[20] and Holly Marie Combs was cast as Aria's mother Ella. Jenna Marshall is played by Tammin Sursok.[21]

text: On January 7, 2011, Tilky Jones was cast as Logan Reed.[22] On April 8, 2011, Annabeth Gish was cast for the role of Anne Sullivan, a therapist who tries to find out the characters' secrets.[23] On May 23, 2011, Andrea Parker signed up to appear as Jessica DiLaurentis, Alison's mother.[24] On June 29, 2011, it was announced that Natalie Hall would be replacing Natalie Floyd as Hanna's soon-to-be stepsister, Kate.[25] On January 30, 2012, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Tyler Blackburn had been promoted to series regular for the third season.[26] In March 2012, Janel Parrish was also promoted from recurring to series regular for the third season.[27] On March 16, 2016, TVLine reported that Andrea Parker was added as a series regular for the seventh season.[28]

text: Promotion[edit]

text: Pretty Little Liars was called one of the most spectacular new shows of summer 2010 thanks to heavy promotion by ABC Family, including "spicy promos and hot posters".[29] ABC Family encouraged fans to host a "Pretty Little Premiere Party" for the show by sending the first respondents a fan kit,[30] and selected applicants to become part of an interactive "Secret Keeper Game" played with iPhones provided by the network.[31] The show's official Facebook and Twitter accounts also promoted special fan features, including a "Pretty Little Lie Detector".[32] Los Angeles department store Kitson showcased the show in their shop window.[33]

text: A tie-in edition featuring the Season 1 poster and logo of the 2006 first novel in the Pretty Little Liars series was released on the date of the show's premiere,[34] as was the final book of the original book series, "Wanted".[35] "Wanted" later decidedly became the eighth book of the series, as Shepard later confirmed she would extend the series. A TV tie in of the second book "Flawless" featuring an altered Season 3 poster was released on December 28, 2010.

text: Music[edit]

text: The theme song for Pretty Little Liars is "Secret" by The Pierces, which was suggested by one of the show's stars, Ashley Benson.[36] The pilot episode featured music from artists such as The Fray, Ben's Brother, MoZella, Orelia, and Colbie Caillat.[37] The show has also featured music from Passion Pit, Lady Gaga, Pink, Florence and the Machine, Lykke Li, Selena Gomez & the Scene, McFly and Rachel Platten. Music from Katie Herzig can be heard multiple times throughout the show. A few songs being "Hey Na Na" and "Where the Road Meets the Sun". Madi Diaz has been heard on the show with her song "Heavy Heart", as well as Joy Williams with "Charmed Life" and Foreign Slippers with "What Are You Waiting For?". The last episode of season one featured a song by Alexz Johnson that she originally recorded for the soundtrack of the Canadian hit TV show Instant Star. On June 14, 2011, "Jar of Hearts" by Christina Perri was featured in the first episode of the second season. The song "Follow Suit" by Trent Dabbs has also been featured on the show. In the episode "The Perfect Storm", Lucy Hale sings a cover of the song "Who Knows Where the Time Goes?" by British band Fairport Convention. The official soundtrack was released on February 15, 2011.

text: Cast and characters[edit]

text:
Troian Bellisario portrays Spencer Hastings, one of the five Liars. Bellisario also portrays Alex Drake, Spencer's identical twin sister. Spencer is an extreme perfectionist who likes to please her wealthy family and her friends. She is very competitive and an overachiever. Spencer is strong willed, smart, and kind towards everyone around her, but isn't afraid to take down someone who is a threat to something she cares about. She was in a relationship with Toby Cavanaugh (Keegan Allen) for most of the first six and a half seasons. Toby later joins the Rosewood Police Force to protect Spencer. Tired of being the victim, Spencer was a brief member of the "A" team after she thinks that she finds Toby in the woods killed by "A", but finds out from Mona that he is still alive and the only way to get to him is to become part of the team. She then learns that the only reason Toby joined the "A" team was to protect her. After the five year jump, Spencer dates Caleb Rivers (Tyler Blackburn) and lives in Washington, D.C. She returns home after the death of Charlotte Drake but ends up staying due to her mother running for the state senate. In the season 7 mid-season finale, it is revealed that she is the biological child of Mary Drake. After the one year time jump, it is shown she has continued with politics and is a paralegal at her mothers law firm. It is revealed that she had a twin sister, Alex Drake, who grew up in London, that became A.D to avenge Charlotte's death.
Ashley Benson portrays Hanna Marin, one of the five Liars. Hanna used to have an eating disorder. She was overweight, with the nickname 'Hefty Hanna'. After Alison DiLaurentis disappeared, Hanna lost weight and changed her style, which seemed similar to Ali's, with the help of her new best friend Mona Vanderwaal. Over the course of the series, Hanna cares more about the people around her and tries to protect herself and her friends. She is loyal and strong. She has had few love affairs through the series and was in a relationship with Caleb Rivers. After the time jump, Hanna was engaged to Jordan and working in the fashion industry, but has moved back to Rosewood and is married to Caleb. In the series finale, it is revealed that she is pregnant.
Holly Marie Combs portrays Ella Montgomery, the mother of Aria and Mike, as well as the wife of Byron.
Lucy Hale portrays Aria Montgomery, one of the five Liars. Aria is the artsy chameleon who is very intelligent, caring, and has a good sense of style. She's the one who keeps her family together. Aria spent some time as a "goth". She wore black, punk-like clothing and had pink highlights in her hair. After Alison disappeared, Aria and her family moved to Iceland for a year (because of Alison's disappearance), before returning to Rosewood. When Aria and her family moved back to Rosewood, she was no longer a "goth" as she used to be, she was a girly-girl. Aria had a relationship with her English teacher, Ezra Fitz (Ian Harding) from the very first episode of the entire show, but they decided to end their relationship before Aria went to college. After the time jump, Aria dates her co-worker, Liam, and then breaks up with him after she and Ezra start dating again. Ezra then proposes to her and they get engaged. Later, Aria joins the A-Team, after being blackmailed by Uber A. In the season finale, it is revealed that she is infertile which leads her to believe that she would never be able to marry Ezra however at the end of the episode she and Ezra are married
Ian Harding portrays Ezra Fitz, a former English teacher at Rosewood High who begins a relationship with Aria which causes a lot of tension due to her being his student. However they keep a steady relationship until season 4 when it is revealed that he is writing a book about the disappearance of Alison DiLaurentis which causes Aria to break up with him. It is also revealed that he had a very brief relationship with Alison before she disappeared after she met him in bar near Hollis with Charlotte Drake. After the time jump, Ezra is in a very bad place due to his girlfriend Nicole being kidnapped and killed in Nicaragua while they were there doing charity work. He is writing a book about his experience which is being published through the company Aria is currently working at which causes them to rekindle their old friendship. In the season 6 finale, they have sex which causes them to talk about their relationship and Ezra proposes to Aria which after some hesitation and a confession about the death of Archer Dunhill, she accepts. They are married in the series finale.
Bianca Lawson portrays Maya St. Germain, a new girl who moves into Rosewood and develops a relationship with Emily, becoming her first girlfriend. She moves into Alison's old house which causes tension with the girls at first but they quickly begin to like her. She is killed in the season 2 finale by Lyndon James who was her stalker from a rehabilitation camp which she was sent to when Pam discovers weed in her bag. Lyndon disguises himself as her cousin who tries to get close to Emily so that he can kill her out of jealousy however, he is killed by Emily stabbing him in mid-season 3.
Laura Leighton portrays Ashley Marin, the mother of Hanna. In the first season she is working as a member of the bank until she is arrested as the suspected murderer of Darren Wilden. She is released when Mona takes the blame for murder and Pastor Ted posts her bail. She then begins working for Mrs DiLaurentis until her death when she chooses to leave as Jason takes over which causes tension due to their past relationship. After the 5 year time jump, she has now turned Radley into a fancy hotel and is working as the manager.
Chad Lowe portrays Byron Montgomery, the father of Aria and Mike, as well as the husband of Ella. He is the center of one of the first story lines due to him having an affair with one of his students at Hollis causing all sorts of issues with his family. Due to this, him and Ella get a divorced but later remarry in season 6 with Aria as their officiator. Chad Lowe was the first cast member to direct an episode of Pretty Little Liars, followed by Troian Bellisario.
Shay Mitchell portrays Emily Fields, one of the five Liars. Emily is the sporty one in the group. She is the best swimmer on the swim team, and she's very sweet and loyal. Emily is a shy, kind, closeted lesbian, in love with Alison DiLaurentis. Over the course of the series, Emily came out to her parents that she was in a relationship with Maya St. Germain. After Maya's murder, Emily develops a relationship with Paige McCullers in season 3. They're together for a while, until Paige betrays Emily's trust. After the time jump, Emily has dropped out of the university she attended in California after the death of her father and she came back to Rosewood with a secret. She ends up donating her eggs in season 6 to help 2 start a family. As of The DArkest Knight she is now working at Rosewood High School as the swim coach. In Season 7, it is revealed that Alison is pregnant with Emily's baby after A.D stole Emily's eggs after she donated them and impregnated Alison while she was in Welby. Emily confronts Ali about the baby and she agrees to have it for her. Soon after, Alison confesses her feelings for Emily and the 2 enter a relationship. In the series finale, Emily and Ali are raising twin girls, Lily and Grace. Alison proposes to Emily who accepts.
Sasha Pieterse portrays Alison DiLaurentis, one of the five Liars and the former "Queen Bee" of her clique, and the most popular girl in school before her disappearance. She enjoys using people's deepest secrets against them to keep them in line. Charming and manipulative, Alison managed to manipulate all four of her friends in one way or another and is skilled at finding ways to blackmail others. It was later revealed that Alison is alive and was on the run from "A". After the five-year time jump, Alison marries a man posing as Dr. Elliott Rollins, who was her sister Charlotte's psychiatrist. In the beginning of Season 7, Alison finds out that he is not the "good" man that she thought she married and with the help of the other girls, they manage to kill him before he kills them. Alison is now an English teacher at Rosewood High. It is also revealed in season 7 that she is pregnant with Emily's baby. Shortly after, she admits to being in love with Emily and enters a relationship with her and intends to raise the baby with her.In the series finale, she is raising twin girls, Lily and Grace, later on in the episode she proposes to Emily.
Tyler Blackburn portrays Caleb Rivers, the high school boyfriend and later husband of Hanna Marin, and a professional hacker. It is revealed in season 1 that he was in the foster care system and slept in school or public places the majority of the time to avoid staying with his foster family. For a brief time he moves into Hanna's basement before moving in with Lucas. He also reconnects with his biological parents. He departs the show mid-season 4 to go to Ravenswood, which was a sister spin-off show of Pretty Little Liars. He returns in the 100th episode with a haunting secret which causes tension between him and Hanna. They both begin drinking, him to forget Ravenswood, her coping with Alison's return to Rosewood. After the time jump, it is revealed that he and Hanna broke up due to them working too much and he begins dating Spencer causing a love triangle between the three of them. In the mid-season 7 finale, he confesses his feeling for Hanna leading to them having sex prompting them to get back together. In "Choose or Loose", they elope in the courthouse and in the finale, Hanna announces she's pregnant.
Janel Parrish portrays Mona Vanderwaal, the original and first "A". She is the person who stalked Alison before her disappearance, and did this as revenge for Alison crowning her "Rosewood's biggest loser". After Alison disappeared she became best friends with Hanna Marin and they transformed themselves into the most popular girls at school, taking Alison's place. In the season two finale she is exposed as "A" and sent to Radley Sanitarium, where she is visited by CeCe Drake (Charlotte), who takes Mona's place in the "A" game. In Season 3, she continues working as "A" and by the end of the season is kicked off the "A" team and becomes a victim of "A" along with the other girls. In Season 4 she helps the girls out with their investigations of the new "A". In season 5 she creates an army so as not to be intimidated by Alison's return. Later in the season, she fakes her own death to ferret out "A" but is kidnapped by "A" and imprisoned in "A"'s dollhouse. After the time jump, Mona is working for Veronica Hastings' rival for State Senator, and is revealed to be Charlotte Drake's killer.
Andrea Parker portrays Jessica DiLaurentis / Mary Drake, twin sisters. Jessica is the mother to Alison and Jason, while Mary is revealed to be the mother of Charlotte and Spencer. Mary was admitted to Radley Sanitarium for most of her life, but has now returned to Rosewood. During the fourth season, Mary kills Jessica and attempts to frame Peter Hastings for it. However, this is not revealed until season 7. She comes back to Rosewood later, now allied with Archer Dunhill. In the nineteenth episode of season 7, she takes the blame for the death of Archer Dunhill so the Liars won't have to go to prison. In the season finale, it revealed that she escaped prison with the help of Mona so that she could ally with Alex Drake, her other biological daughter, Spencer's twin sister who is revealed as A.D

text: Setting[edit]

text: Rosewood[edit]

text: Rosewood is a fictional town in the United States state of Pennsylvania. It is the principal setting of the series and the books. The Liars live in this town along with most of the other characters. It contains many principal locations: the police station, the Rosewood High School, the church, the Rosewood Shopping Center, Hollis College, the Rosewood Community Hospital, the Rosewood movie theater, the mausoleum, the dental office, the Ophthalmology Cabinet, and the Rosewood Court.

text: Virtually all these locations are actually exteriors on the backlot of the Warner Bros. studio lot in Burbank. Interior scenes are filmed separately on nearby soundstages. For example, different sides of the same building on the backlot are used for the entrances of the Rosewood police station and high school.

text: Secondary locations[edit]

text: Real towns: New York City, Cape May, Philadelphia, London, Hilton Head Island and Brookhaven

text: Broadcast[edit]

text: Pretty Little Liars premiered on June 8, 2010 in the United States, becoming ABC Family's highest-rated series debut on record across the network's target demographics.[38] It ranked number one in key 12–34 demos and teens, becoming the number-one scripted show in Women 18–34, and Women 18–49. The premiere was number two in the hour for total viewers, which generated 2.47 million unique viewers, and was ABC Family's best delivery in the time slot since the premiere of The Secret Life of the American Teenager.

text: The second episode retained 100% of its premiere audience with 2.48 million viewers, despite the usual downward trend following a premiere of a show, and built on its premiere audience. It was the dominant number one of its time slot in Adults 18–49, and the number one show in female teens.[39] Subsequent episodes fluctuated between 2.09 and 2.74 million viewers.[40][41] The August 10, 2010 "Summer Finale" episode drew an impressive 3.07 million viewers.

text: On June 28, 2010, ABC Family ordered 12 more episodes of the show, bringing its total first-season order to 22.[42] On January 10, 2011, ABC Family picked the show up for a second season that premiered on June 14, 2011. During the summer of 2011, Pretty Little Liars was basic cable's top scripted series in women aged 18–34 and viewers 12–34.[43][44] The second half of season 2 aired on Mondays at 8/7c, beginning on January 2, 2012.[45]

text: On November 29, 2011, ABC Family renewed the show for a third season, which consisted of 24 episodes.[46][47] On October 4, 2012, ABC Family announced that the show was renewed for a fourth season, again comprising 24 episodes. The second half of the third season began airing on January 8, 2013 and finished March 19, 2013. Pretty Little Liars returned for Season 4 on June 11, 2013. On March 25, 2013, it was again announced that Pretty Little Liars had been renewed for a fifth season scheduled for a 2014 air date and a new spin off show entitled Ravenswood would begin airing after the season four annual Halloween special in October 2013.[48] The second half of season four premiered on January 7, 2014.[49] It was announced on June 10, 2014 that Pretty Little Liars was renewed for two seasons, making the show ABC Family's longest running original hit series.[50] On August 29, 2016, I.Marlene King announced that Pretty Little Liars would be ending after the seventh season had aired. The second half of the seventh season will begin airing later than previous season, in April instead of January.[51]

text: Critical reception[edit]

text: Pretty Little Liars opened with mixed reviews. Metacritic gave the pilot episode 52 out of 100, based upon 14 critical reviews.[52] The New York Daily News gave the show a positive review, commenting that it "makes most popular vampire romances look anemic", while concluding, "Pretty Little Liars could go in several directions, including mundane teen clichés. It's got an equally good shot at making us care about these imperfect pretty girls."[53] A writer on Terror Hook has stated that " 'Pretty Little Liars' gets off to a very promising start. Great production all around, the writing keeps the viewer on their toes, and the acting just reinforces it. The overall mystery of the show in the end is dark and unpredictable, even stepping into the slasher film realm."[54] The New York Post gave the show three out of five stars, stating, "OK, so we've established that there is no socially redeeming value in this series and that your kids shouldn't watch it if they are too young and impressionable. But if you can distract them enough to miss the first 15 minutes, the show isn't half-bad. Actually, it is half-good, if that makes sense."[55] The Los Angeles Times wrote that the series is "one of those shows that manages to mildly, and perhaps unintentionally, spoof its genre while fully participating in it, and that's not a bad thing at all."[56]

text: Entertainment Weekly had a less favorable review, giving the show a letter grade of "D−", saying, "Imagine the pitch for Liars: It's I Know What You Did Last Summer meets Gossip Girl, but like not so subtle." It went on to say that the plot "hits every racy teen entertainment mark so hard (everyone's hair is so full—of secrets!) that it feels like the only thing missing is a visit from the ghosts of Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze, Jr."[57] The Hollywood Reporter compared the show to those on The CW and noted, "Sure, there's a lot here that sustains more eye-rolling than interested stares, but a little patience might be warranted."[58]

text: Ratings[edit]

text: Since the series premiere, Pretty Little Liars has remained popular. In 2016, a New York Times study of the 50 TV shows with the most Facebook Likes found that the show's "popularity is tilted toward women more than any other show in the data — over 94 percent of 'likes' come from women".[59]

text: The series earned its highest rated episode with 4.20 million total viewers, ranking among ABC Family's top 5 telecasts in adult viewers 18–34, total viewers and women viewers.[60] The highest rated episodes include season one's finale, with 3.64 million, and season two's premiere and finale episodes, each yielding nearly 3.7 million viewers.[61][62][63] The show stands as the most watched series on ABC Family, maintaining a steady viewership of over 2.5 million and currently standing as the only show to yield an average of over 2 million viewers.

text:
Ratings table

Season
Network
Episodes
Timeslot
Season premiere
Season finale
TV season
Viewers
(in millions)
Most watched episode

Premiere date
Viewers
(million)
Finale date
Viewers
(million)
Title
Viewers
(millions)

Season 1
ABC Family
22
Tuesdays 8:00 pm (first set)
Mondays 8:00 pm (second set)
June 8, 2010
2.47[64]
March 21, 2011
3.64[61]
2010–11
2.87
"Moments Later"
4.20[65]

Season 2
25
June 14, 2011
3.68[62]
March 19, 2012
3.69[63]
2011–12
2.68
"unmAsked"
3.69[63]

Season 3
24
Tuesdays 8:00 p.m.
June 5, 2012
2.93[66]
March 19, 2013
2.87[67]
2012–13
2.59[68]
"She's Better Now"
3.21[69]

Season 4
24
June 11, 2013
2.97[70]
March 18, 2014
3.12[71]
2013–14
2.53[72]
"Now You See Me, Now You Don't"
3.33[73]

Season 5
25
June 10, 2014
2.72[74]
March 24, 2015
2.65[75]
2014–15
2.01[76]
"EscApe From New York"
2.72[77]

Season 6
ABC Family (2015)

Freeform (2016)
20
June 2, 2015
2.38[78]
March 15, 2016
1.19[79]
2015–16
1.72[80]
"Game Over, Charles"
3.09[81]

Season 7
Freeform
20
June 21, 2016
1.43[82]
June 27, 2017
1.41[83]
2016–17
1.11[7]
"Tick-Tock, Bitches"
1.43[84]

text: Awards and nominations[edit]

text:
Year
Award
Category
Recipient(s)
Result

2010

Teen Choice Awards[91]
Choice Summer TV Show
Pretty Little Liars
Won

Choice Summer TV Star: Male
Ian Harding
Won

Choice Summer TV Star: Female
Lucy Hale
Won

2011

NewNowNext Awards[92]
TV You Betta Watch
Pretty Little Liars
Won

People's Choice Awards[93]
Favorite TV Obsession
Nominated

GLAAD Media Awards[94]
Outstanding Drama Series
Nominated

Young Hollywood Awards[95]
Cast To Watch
Troian Bellisario, Ashley Benson, Lucy Hale and Shay Mitchell
Won

Teen Choice Awards[96]
Choice Summer TV Show
Pretty Little Liars
Won

Choice Summer TV Star: Female
Lucy Hale
Won

Troian Bellisario
Nominated

Choice Summer TV Star: Male
Ian Harding
Won

Keegan Allen
Nominated

Banff Television Festival
Best Continuing Series
I. Marlene King, Lesli Linka Glatter and Lisa Cochran-Neilan
Won

Capricho Awards (pt)[97]
Best TV Series
Pretty Little Liars
Nominated

Best International Actress
Lucy Hale
Nominated

Best International Actor
Ian Harding
Nominated

2012
People's Choice Awards[98]
Favorite Cable TV Drama
Pretty Little Liars
Won

GLAAD Media Awards[99]
Outstanding Drama Series
Nominated

TV Guide Awards[100]
Favorite Guilty Pleasure
Nominated

Capricho Awards (pt)[101]
Best TV Series
Nominated

Teen Choice Awards[102]
Choice TV Show: Drama
Won

Choice TV Actor
Ian Harding
Won

Choice TV Actress
Lucy Hale
Won

Choice TV Villain
Janel Parrish
Won

Choice Summer TV Star: Female
Troian Bellisario
Won

2013
People's Choice Awards[103]
Favorite Cable TV Drama
Pretty Little Liars
Nominated

Favorite TV Fan Following
Little Liars
Nominated

Gracie Awards[104]
Outstanding Performance by a Female Rising Star
Lucy Hale
Won

TV Guide Awards[105]
Favorite Ensemble
Pretty Little Liars
Nominated

Favorite Villain
Janel Parrish and Keegan Allen
Nominated

Teen Choice Awards[106]
Choice TV Show: Drama
Pretty Little Liars
Won

Choice Summer TV Show
Pretty Little Liars
Won

Choice TV Actor: Drama
Ian Harding
Won

Choice TV Actress: Drama
Troian Bellisario
Won

Choice TV Villain
Janel Parrish
Won

Choice Summer TV Star: Female
Lucy Hale
Won

Choice Summer TV Star: Male
Keegan Allen
Won

Capricho Awards (pt)[107]
Best TV Series
Pretty Little Liars
Nominated

Best International Actress
Ashley Benson
Nominated

2014
People's Choice Awards[108][109]
Favorite Cable TV Drama
Pretty Little Liars
Nominated

Favorite Cable TV Actress
Lucy Hale
Won

GLAAD Media Awards[110]
Outstanding Drama Series
Pretty Little Liars
Nominated

40th Saturn Awards[111]
Best Youth-Oriented Television Series
Nominated

Young Hollywood Awards
Bingeworthy TV series
Nominated

Best Cast Chemistry — TV
Nominated

Teen Choice Awards[112]
Choice TV Show: Drama
Won

Choice TV Actor: Drama
Ian Harding
Won

Choice TV Actor: Drama
Keegan Allen
Nominated

Choice TV Actress: Drama
Lucy Hale
Won

Choice TV Actress: Drama
Troian Bellisario
Nominated

Choice TV Villain
Janel Parrish
Nominated

Choice Summer TV Star: Female
Ashley Benson
Won

Choice Summer TV Star: Female
Shay Mitchell
Nominated

Choice Summer TV Star: Male
Tyler Blackburn
Won

Choice TV Breakout Star: Female
Sasha Pieterse
Won

Candie's Choice Style Icon
Ashley Benson
Nominated

2015
People's Choice Awards[113]
Favorite Cable TV Actress
Ashley Benson
Nominated

Lucy Hale
Nominated

Favorite Cable TV Drama
Pretty Little Liars
Won

GLAAD Media Awards
Outstanding Drama Series
Nominated

41st Saturn Awards[114]
Best Youth-Oriented Television Series
Nominated

MTV Fandom Awards
Feels Freak Out Of The Year
Won

Ship Of The Year
Shay Mitchell and Sasha Pieterse
Nominated

Teen Choice Awards
Choice TV Show: Drama
Pretty Little Liars
Won

Choice TV Actor: Drama
Keegan Allen
Nominated

Ian Harding
Won

Choice TV Actress: Drama
Lucy Hale
Won

Shay Mitchell
Nominated

Choice Summer TV Star: Male
Tyler Blackburn
Won

Choice Summer TV Star: Female
Troian Bellisario
Nominated

Ashley Benson
Won

Choice TV Scene Stealer
Sasha Pieterse
Nominated

Choice TV Villain
"A" (Vanessa Ray)
Won

2016

People's Choice Awards[115]

Favorite Cable TV Drama
Pretty Little Liars
Won

Favorite Cable TV Actress
Ashley Benson
Nominated

Lucy Hale
Nominated

Shay Mitchell
Nominated

Teen Choice Awards

Choice TV Show: Drama
Pretty Little Liars
Won

Choice TV Actor: Drama
Keegan Allen
Nominated

Tyler Blackburn
Nominated

Ian Harding
Won

Choice TV Actress: Drama
Troian Bellisario
Nominated

Ashley Benson
Won

Choice TV Villain
Janel Parrish
Won

Choice TV Scene Stealer
Sasha Pieterse
Won

Choice TV Chemistry
Ashley Benson and Tyler Blackburn
Won

Choice Summer TV Actress
Lucy Hale
Nominated

Shay Mitchell
Nominated

2017
People's Choice Awards[116]
Favorite Cable TV Actress
Ashley Benson
Nominated

Lucy Hale
Nominated

Favorite Cable TV Drama
Pretty Little Liars
Nominated

MTV Movie & TV Awards

Show Of The Year
Nominated

Teen Choice Awards

Choice TV Show: Drama
Nominated

Choice TV Actress: Drama
Troian Bellisario
Nominated

Ashley Benson
Nominated

Lucy Hale
Won

Shay Mitchell
Nominated

Sasha Pieterse
Nominated

Choice TV Actor: Drama
Ian Harding
Nominated

Choice TV Villain
Janel Parrish
Won

Choice TV Ship
Shay Mitchell and Sasha Pieterse
Nominated

text: DVD releases[edit]

text:
DVD release dates for Pretty Little Liars

Name
Release dates
Ep #
Additional information

Region 1
Region 2
Region 4

The Complete First Season
June 7, 2011
September 24, 2012[117]
November 2, 2011[118]
22

Pretty Little Liars: Two Truths and a Lie—Discover some fun facts and fictional fallacies about the cast of Pretty Little Liars.
It All Started with a Little Lie: Making Pretty Little Liars—Discover how the pages and characters of Sara Shepard's novel became this can't miss TV series
Little Secrets from the Set—Catch up with the cast and crew of summer's hottest show as they bring us several juicy behind-the-scenes secrets from the Pretty Little Liars set
Deleted Scenes and extras

The Complete Second Season
June 5, 2012[119]
November 11, 2013[120]
September 5, 2012[121]
25

Fashion's Guilty Pleasure: Check out Aria's edgy bohemian looks, Hanna's rock 'n' roll glamour, Emily's laid back sporty style and Spencer's prepster perfection
Men of Mystery: Brooding brows, soulful smiles and mysterious minds... get ready for the heart-melting guys of Rosewood
Deleted scenes and extras

The Complete Third Season
June 4, 2013
April 21, 2014[122]
June 19, 2013[123]
24

Featurette: "The 'A' Network"
The Lady Killer episode alternate endings
Bonus Webisodes
Deleted Scenes

The Complete Fourth Season
June 3, 2014
September 29, 2014[124]
July 9, 2014[125]
24

Featurette: "Unhooding Red Coat: Alison Is Alive!"
Featurette: "Confessions of 'A' Liar"
Featurette: "Pretty Little Scenes"
Bonus Recap Episode
Deleted Scenes

The Complete Fifth Season
June 2, 2015
July 15, 2015[126]
June 19, 2015
25

Featurette: "Good Girls, Bad Lies: The Stronger PLLs"
Featurette: "Pretty Little Liars: The Guys Are Back!"
Featurette: "Celebrating a Pretty 100th"
Featurette: "Christmas in Rosewood: Designing the Ice Ball"
We Love You to Death: Fan Appreciation Episode
Deleted Scenes

The Complete Sixth Season
April 19, 2016[127]
April 18, 2016[128]
April 22, 2016
20

Featurette: "We Heart the PLL Ships"
Featurette: "A PLL Prom"
Featurette: "Inside the 5 Years"
Featurette: "A Homecoming: The PLLs Return"
Pretty Little Liars: 5 Years Forward
Deleted Scenes

The Seventh and Final Season
July 25, 2017[129]
TBA
TBA
20

Featurette: "Inside the PLL Sheets"
Featurette: "That PLL Boy Is Mine"
Featurette: "A PLL Proposal"
Featurette: "A Surprising Mary Drake"
Featurette: "Hot for Haleb"
Featurette: "Say I Do"
Featurette: "The Final Sendoff from Rosewood"
Featurette: "A.D.: The Ultimate Suspect"
Featurette: "Thank You to Fans"
Pretty Little Liars: A-List Wrap Party (Special Episode)
Deleted Scenes

The Complete Series
July 25, 2017[129]
TBA
TBA
160

All previously released special features on all seven seasons.


document_title: Bundesliga

question_text: who has won the most german league titles

question_tokens: who has won the most german league titles

root

text: Bundesliga

text: Overview[edit]

text: The Bundesliga is composed of two divisions: the 1. Bundesliga (although it is rarely referred to with the First prefix), and, below that, the 2. Bundesliga (2nd Bundesliga), which has been the second tier of German football since 1974. The Bundesligen (plural) are professional leagues. Since 2008, the 3. Liga (3rd League) in Germany has also been a professional league, but may not be called Bundesliga because the league is run by the German Football Association (DFB) and not, as are the two Bundesligen, by the German Football League (Deutsche Fußball-Liga or DFL).

tag: p

text: Below the level of the 3. Liga, leagues are generally subdivided on a regional basis. For example, the Regionalligen are currently made up of Nord (North), Nordost (Northeast), Süd (South), Südwest (Southwest) and West divisions. Below this are thirteen parallel divisions, most of which are called Oberligen (upper leagues) which represent federal states or large urban and geographical areas. The levels below the Oberligen differ between the local areas. The league structure has changed frequently and typically reflects the degree of participation in the sport in various parts of the country. In the early 1990s, changes were driven by the reunification of Germany and the subsequent integration of the national league of East Germany.

text: Every team in the two Bundesligen must have a licence to play in the league, or else they are relegated into the regional leagues. To obtain a licence, teams must be financially healthy and meet certain standards of conduct as organisations.

text: As in other national leagues, there are significant benefits to being in the top division:

text:
A greater share of television broadcast licence revenues goes to 1. Bundesliga sides.
1. Bundesliga teams draw significantly greater levels of fan support. Average attendance in the first league is 42,673 per game — more than twice the average of the 2. Bundesliga.
Greater exposure through television and higher attendance levels helps 1. Bundesliga teams attract the most lucrative sponsorships.
1. Bundesliga teams develop substantial financial muscle through the combination of television and gate revenues, sponsorships and marketing of their team brands. This allows them to attract and retain skilled players from domestic and international sources and to construct first-class stadium facilities.

tag: ul

text: The 1. Bundesliga is financially strong, and the 2. Bundesliga has begun to evolve in a similar direction, becoming more stable organizationally and financially, and reflecting an increasingly higher standard of professional play.

text: Internationally, the most well-known German clubs include Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Schalke 04, Hamburger SV, VfB Stuttgart, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Werder Bremen and Bayer Leverkusen. Hamburger SV is the only club to have played continuously in the Bundesliga since its foundation.

text: In the 2008–09 season, the Bundesliga reinstated an earlier German system of promotion and relegation, which had been in use from 1981 until 1991:

text:
The bottom two finishers in the Bundesliga are automatically relegated to the 2. Bundesliga, with the top two finishers in the 2. Bundesliga taking their places.
The third-from-bottom club in the Bundesliga will play a two-legged tie with the third-place team from the 2. Bundesliga, with the winner taking up the final place in the following season's Bundesliga.

text: From 1992 until 2008, a different system had been used in which the bottom three finishers of the Bundesliga had been automatically relegated, to be replaced by the top three finishers in the 2. Bundesliga. From 1963 until 1981 two, or later three, teams had been relegated from the Bundesliga automatically, while promotion had been decided either completely or partially in promotion play-offs.

text: The season starts in early August[4] and lasts until late May, with a winter break of six weeks (mid-December through to the end of January). In recent years, games have been played on Saturdays (five games beginning at 3:30 pm and one game beginning at 6:30 pm) and Sundays (one game beginning at 3:30 pm and one game at 5:30 pm). A new television deal in 2006 reintroduced a Friday game (beginning at 8:30 pm).

text: History[edit]

text: Origins[edit]

text: Prior to the formation of the Bundesliga, German football was played at an amateur level in a large number of sub-regional leagues until, in 1949, part-time (semi-) professionalism was introduced and only five regional Oberligen (Premier Leagues) remained. Regional champions and runners-up played a series of playoff matches for the right to compete in a final game for the national championship. On 28 January 1900, a national association, the Deutscher Fußball Bund (DFB) had been founded in Leipzig with 86 member clubs. The first recognised national championship team was VfB Leipzig, who beat DFC Prague 7–2 in a game played at Altona on 31 May 1903.

text: Through the 1950s, there were continued calls for the formation of a central professional league, especially as professional leagues in other countries began to draw Germany's best players away from the semi-professional domestic leagues. At the international level the German game began to falter as German teams often fared poorly against professional teams from other countries. A key supporter of the central league concept was national team head coach Sepp Herberger who said, “If we want to remain competitive internationally, we have to raise our expectations at the national level.”

text: Meanwhile, in East Germany, a separate league was established with the formation of the DS-Oberliga (Deutscher Sportausschuss Oberliga) in 1950. The league was renamed the Football Oberliga DFV in 1958 and was generally referred to simply as the DDR-Liga or DDR-Oberliga. The league fielded 14 teams with two relegation spots.

text: Foundation[edit]

text: The defeat of the national team by Yugoslavia (0–1) in a 1962 World Cup quarter-final game in Chile was one impetus (of many) towards the formation of a national league. At the annual DFB convention under new DFB president Hermann Gösmann (elected that very day) the Bundesliga was created in Dortmund at the Westfalenhallen on 28 July 1962 to begin play starting with the 1963–64 season.[5]

text: At the time, there were five Oberligen (Premier Leagues) in place representing West Germany's North, South, West, Southwest, and Berlin. East Germany, behind the Iron Curtain, maintained its separate league structure. 46 clubs applied for admission to the new league. 16 teams were selected based on their success on the field, economic criteria and representation of the various Oberligen.

text:
From Oberliga Nord: Eintracht Braunschweig, Werder Bremen, Hamburger SV
From Oberliga West: Borussia Dortmund, 1. FC Köln, Meidericher SV (now MSV Duisburg), Preußen Münster, Schalke 04
From Oberliga Südwest: 1. FC Kaiserslautern, 1. FC Saarbrücken
From Oberliga Süd: Eintracht Frankfurt, Karlsruher SC, 1. FC Nürnberg, 1860 Munich, VfB Stuttgart
From Oberliga Berlin: Hertha BSC

text: The first Bundesliga games were played on 24 August 1963. Early favourite 1. FC Köln was the first Bundesliga champion (with 45:19 points) over second place clubs Meidericher SV and Eintracht Frankfurt (both 39:25).

text: Reunification[edit]

text: Following German reunification, the East German leagues were merged into the West German system. Dynamo Dresden and F.C. Hansa Rostock were seeded into the top-tier Bundesliga division, with other clubs being sorted into lower tiers.

text: Competition format[edit]

text: The German football champion is decided strictly by play in the Bundesliga. Each club plays every other club once at home and once away. Originally, a victory was worth two points, with one point for a draw and none for a loss. 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. The club with the most points at the end of the season becomes German champion. Currently, the top three clubs in the table qualify automatically for the group phase of the UEFA Champions League, while the fourth-place team enters the Champions League at the third qualifying round (see overview). The two teams at the bottom of the table are relegated into the 2. Bundesliga, while the top two teams in the 2. Bundesliga are promoted. The 16th-placed team (third-last), and the third-placed team in the 2. Bundesliga play a two-leg play-off match. The winner of this match plays the next season in the Bundesliga, and the loser in the 2. Bundesliga.

text: If teams are level on points, tie-breakers are applied in the following order:

text:
Goal difference for the entire season
Total goals scored for the entire season
Head-to-head results (total points)
Head-to-head goals scored
Head-to-head away goals scored
Total away goals scored for the entire season

tag: ol

text: If two clubs are still tied after all of these tie-breakers have been applied, a single match is held at a neutral site to determine the placement. However, this has never been necessary in the history of the Bundesliga.

text: In terms of team selection, matchday squads must have no more than five non-EU representatives. Seven substitutes are permitted to be selected, from which three can be used in the duration of the game.

text: Changes in league structure[edit]

text:
Number of teams:

1963–64 to 1964–65: 16
1965–66 to 1990–91: 18
1991–92: 20, while the East German league was being included after German reunification
Since 1992–93: 18

Number of teams relegated (automatic relegation except as noted):

1963–64 to 1973–74: 2
1974–75 to 1980–81: 3
1981–82 to 1990–91: 2 automatic plus the 16th-place team in the First Bundesliga played a two-leg relegation match against the third-place team of the Second Bundesliga for the final spot in the First Bundesliga
1991–92: 4
1992–93 to 2007–08: 3
Since 2008–09: 2 automatic plus the 16th-place team in the First Bundesliga playing a two-leg relegation match against the third-place team of the Second Bundesliga for the final spot in the First Bundesliga

text: Qualification for European competitions[edit]

text:
1st, 2nd place and 3rd place: Group phase of UEFA Champions League
4th place: Play-off round of Champions League for non-champions. Winners at this stage enter the group phase; losers enter the group phase of UEFA Europa League.
5th place: Group stage of Europa League
6th place: Third qualifying round of Europa League
Until the 2016–17 season, an additional place in the Europa League could also be granted via the UEFA Fair Play mechanism. This rule was maintained from the UEFA Cup. The last Bundesliga team to gain entry to the UEFA Cup via the fair play rule was Mainz 05 in 2005–06.
DFB-Pokal (German Cup) winner: Qualifies for group phase of UEFA Europa League regardless of league position.

Until 2015–16, if the Cup winner qualified for the Champions League, the cup winner's place in the Europa League went to the defeated cup finalist if it had not already qualified for European competition, although the defeated cup finalist would enter the competition a stage earlier than if it had won the Cup. This rule was retained from the Europa League's predecessor, the UEFA Cup. From 2015–16, the runners-up no longer qualify for the Europa league and the Europa League berth reserved for the DFB-Pokal winners is transferred to the highest finisher below the Champions League qualification places.

Prior to 2015–16, the team that benefited from that rule did not necessarily have to be a Bundesliga member. For example, although 2. Bundesliga sides Alemannia Aachen lost to Werder Bremen in the 2004 DFB-Pokal Final, Alemannia secured an entry in the 2004–05 UEFA Cup, because Werder qualified for the Champions League as First Bundesliga champions.

text: The number of German clubs which may participate in UEFA competitions is determined by UEFA coefficients, which take into account the results of a particular nation's clubs in UEFA competitions over the preceding five years.

text:
European Cup/Champions League:

Up to and including 1996–97: German champion only.
1997–99: Top two teams; champions automatically into group phase, runners-up entered the qualifying round.
1999–2008: Top two teams automatically into first group phase (only one group phase starting in 2003–04). Depending on the DFB's UEFA coefficients standing, either one or two other clubs (most recently one) entered at the third qualifying round; winners at this level entered the group phase.
2008–2011: Top two teams automatically into group phase. Third placed team had to play in the play-off round for the right to play in the group stage.

UEFA Cup/Europa League:

From 1971–72 to 1998–99, UEFA member nations could send between one and four teams to the UEFA Cup. Germany was always entitled to send at least three teams to the competition and often as many as four. From 1978–79, the number of participants was determined by the DFB's UEFA coefficient standing, prior to this the method for deciding the number of participants is unknown. The best performing teams in the league other than the champion would qualify, although if one of these teams was also winner of the DFB-Pokal then they would enter the Cup Winners' Cup instead and their UEFA Cup place would be taken by the next highest-placed team in the league (5th or 6th place). Briefly in the mid-1970s the DFB decided to allocate the last UEFA Cup place to the DFB-Pokal runner-up instead of a third or fourth team qualified by performance in the league, meaning that at this point the DFB-Pokal qualified two teams for European competition (winners for the Cup Winners' Cup, runners-up for the UEFA Cup). This policy was unique amongst UEFA member associations and was dropped after only a few seasons. Starting with the 1999–2000 season and the abolition of the Cup Winners' Cup (which was then folded into the UEFA Cup), the DFB-Pokal winner now automatically qualified for the UEFA Cup alongside, depending on the DFB's UEFA coefficients standing, between one and three extra participants (if the DFB-Pokal winner also qualified for the Champions League, they were replaced by the DFB-Pokal runner-up; if they were also qualified for the Champions League, the UEFA Cup place went to the next best placed team in the league not otherwise qualified for European competition). Since 1999, the DFB has always been entitled to enter a minimum of three clubs in the UEFA Cup/Europa League, and at times as many as four (the maximum for any European federation). Teams that entered via UEFA's Fair Play mechanism, or those that entered through the now-defunct Intertoto Cup, did not count against the national quota. From 2006 through the final Intertoto Cup in 2008, only one First Bundesliga side was eligible to enter the Intertoto Cup and possibly earn a UEFA Cup berth. For the 2005–06 season, the DFB earned an extra UEFA Cup place via the Fair Play draw; this place went to Mainz 05 as the highest-ranked club in the Fair Play table of the First Bundesliga not already qualified for Europe.

Cup Winners' Cup (abolished after 1999):

The winner of the DFB-Pokal entered the Cup Winners' Cup, unless that team was also league champion and therefore competing in the European Cup/Champions League, in which case their place in the Cup Winners' Cup was taken by the DFB-Pokal runner-up. Today, the DFB-Pokal winner (if not otherwise qualified for the Champions League) enters the UEFA Europa League.

text: Clubs[edit]

text:
Club
Position in 2015–16
First Bundesliga season
Number of seasons in Bundesliga
First season of current spell
Number of seasons of current spell
Bundesliga titles
National titles
Last title

FC Augsburgb
12th
2011–12
6
2011–12
6
0
0
-

Bayer Leverkusenb
3rd
1979–80
38
1979–80
38
0
0
-

Bayern Munichb
1st
1965–66
52
1965–66
52
26
27
2017

Borussia Dortmunda
2nd
1963–64
50
1976–77
41
5
8
2012

Borussia Mönchengladbach
4th
1965–66
49
2008–09
9
5
5
1977

Darmstadt 98a
14th
1978–79
4
2015–16
2
0
0
-

Eintracht Frankfurta
16th
1963–64
48
2012–13
5
0
1
1959

SC Freiburg
2.: 1st
1993–94
17
2016–17
1
0
0
-

Hamburger SVa b
10th
1963–64
54
1963–64
54
3
6
1983

Hertha BSCa
7th
1963–64
34
2013–14
4
0
2
1931

TSG 1899 Hoffenheimb
15th
2008–09
9
2008–09
9
0
0
-

FC Ingolstadtb
11th
2015–16
2
2015–16
2
0
0
-

1. FC Kölna
9th
1963–64
46
2014–15
3
2
3
1978

RB Leipzig
2.: 2nd
2016–17
1
2016–17
1
0
0
-

1. FSV Mainz 05
6th
2004–05
11
2009–10
8
0
0
-

Schalke 04a
5th
1963–64
49
1991–92
26
0
7
1958

Werder Bremena
13th
1963–64
53
1981–82
36
4
4
2004

VfL Wolfsburgb
8th
1997–98
20
1997–98
20
1
1
2009

tag: table

text:
a Founding member of the Bundesliga
b Never been relegated from the Bundesliga

text:
Team
Location
Stadium
Capacity
Ref.

Augsburg !FC Augsburg
Augsburg
WWK ARENA
30,660

Bayer Leverkusen
Leverkusen
BayArena
30,210

Bayern Munich
Munich
Allianz Arena
75,000

Borussia Dortmund
Dortmund
Signal Iduna Park
81,359
[6]

Borussia Mönchengladbach
Mönchengladbach
Borussia-Park !Stadion im Borussia-Park
54,010

Darmstadt 98
Darmstadt
Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor
17,000

Eintracht Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Commerzbank-Arena
51,500

SC Freiburg
Freiburg im Breisgau
Schwarzwald-Stadion
24,000

Hamburger SV
Hamburg
Volksparkstadion
57,000

Hertha BSC
Berlin
Olympiastadion
74,475

Hoffenheim !TSG Hoffenheim
Sinsheim
Wirsol Rhein-Neckar-Arena
30,150

Ingolstadt !FC Ingolstadt
Ingolstadt
Audi Sportpark
15,000

Köln !1. FC Köln
Cologne
RheinEnergieSTADION
50,000

RB Leipzig
Leipzig
Red Bull Arena
42,959
[7]

Mainz 05
Mainz
Coface Arena
34,000

Schalke 04
Gelsenkirchen
Veltins-Arena
62,271
[8]

Werder Bremen
Bremen
Weserstadion
42,100

Wolfsburg !VfL Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg
Volkswagen Arena
30,000

text: Business model[edit]

text: In the 2009–10 season, the Bundesliga's turnover was €1.7bn, broken down into match-day revenue (€424m), sponsorship receipts (€573m) and broadcast income (€594m). That year it was the only European football league where clubs collectively made a profit. Bundesliga clubs paid less than 50% of revenue in players wages, the lowest percentage out of the European leagues. The Bundesliga has the lowest ticket prices and the highest average attendance out of Europe's five major leagues.[9]

text: Bundesliga clubs tend to form close associations with local firms, several of which have since grown to big global companies; in a comparison of the leading Bundesliga and Premiership clubs, Bayern Munich received 55% of its revenue from company sponsorship deals, while Manchester United got 37%.[9][10][11][12]

text: Bundesliga clubs are required to be majority-owned by German club members (known as the 50+1 rule (de) to discourage control by a single entity) and operate under tight restrictions on the use of debt for acquisitions (a team only receives an operating license if it has solid financials), as a result 11 of the 18 clubs were in the black after the 2008–09 season. By contrast the lax approach of the other major European leagues has resulted in several high-profile teams coming under ownership of tycoons and Middle Eastern billionaires, and a larger number of clubs have high levels of debt.[11][12]

text: After 2000 the German Football Association and the Bundesliga mandated that all clubs run a youth academy, with the aim of bolstering the stream of local talent for the club and national team. As of 2010 the Bundesliga and second Bundesliga spend €75m a year on these youth academies, that train five thousand players aged 12–18, increasing the under-23-year-olds in the Bundesliga from 6% in 2000 to 15% in 2010. This allows more money to be spent on the players that are bought, and there is a greater chance to buy better instead of average players.[9][11][12]

text: In the first ten years of the second millennium, the Bundesliga is regarded as competitive, as five different teams have won the league title. This contrasts with Spain's La Liga which is dominated by the "Big Two" (Barcelona and Real Madrid), and the English Premier League which has seen the "Big Four" (Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Arsenal) finish in the top four for a number of years.[13] This theory has been called into question because of Bayern Munich's dominance in the 2012–13 to 2016–17 seasons as the Bavarian side is able to spend big to purchase the league's best players and the Premier League's four different winners in four seasons.[14][15]

text: Financial regulations[edit]

text: For a number of years, the clubs in the Bundesliga have been subject to regulations not unlike the UEFA Financial Fair Play Regulations agreed upon in September 2009.

text: At the end of each season, clubs in the Bundesliga must apply to the German Football Federation (DFB) for a licence to participate again the following year; only when the DFB, who have access to all transfer documents and accounts, are satisfied that there is no threat of insolvency do they give approval.[16] The DFB have a system of fines and points deductions for clubs who flout rules and those who go into the red can only buy a player after selling one for at least the same amount. In addition, no individual is allowed to own more than 49 percent of any Bundesliga club, the only exceptions being VfL Wolfsburg, Bayer Leverkusen and current Regionalliga Nordost member FC Carl Zeiss Jena should they ever be promoted to the Bundesliga as they were each founded as factory teams.[10]

text: Despite the good economic governance, there have still been some instances of clubs getting into difficulties. In 2004, Borussia Dortmund reported a debt of €118.8 million (£83 million).[17] Having won the Champions League in 1997 and a number of Bundesliga titles, Dortmund had gambled to maintain their success with an expensive group of largely foreign players but failed, narrowly escaping liquidation in 2006. In subsequent years, the club went through extensive restructuring to return to financial health, largely with young home-grown players. In 2004 Hertha BSC reported debts of £24.7 million and were able to continue in the Bundesliga only after proving they had long term credit with their bank.[17]

text: The leading German club Bayern Munich made a net profit of just €2.5 million in 2008–09 season (group accounts,[18] while Schalke 04 made a net loss of €30.4 million in 2009 financial year.[19] Borussia Dortmund GmbH & Co. KGaA, made a net loss of just €2.9 million in 2008–09 season.[20]

text: Attendances[edit]

text: Based on its per-game average, the Bundesliga is the best-attended association football league in the world; out of all sports, its average of 45,116 fans per game during the 2011–12 season was the second highest of any professional sports league worldwide, behind only the National Football League of the United States.[2] Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund has the highest average attendance of any football club in the world.[21]

text: Out of Europe's five major football leagues (Premier League, La Liga, Ligue 1, and Serie A ), the Bundesliga has the lowest ticket prices and the highest average attendance. Many club stadia have large terraced areas for standing fans (by comparison, stadia in the English Premier League are all-seaters due to the Taylor Report). Teams limit the number of season tickets to ensure everyone has a chance to see the games live, and the away club has the right to 10% of the available capacity. Match tickets often double as free rail passes which encourages supporters to travel and celebrate in a relaxed atmosphere. According to Bundesliga chief executive Christian Seifert, tickets are inexpensive (especially for standing room) as "It is not in the clubs' culture so much [to raise prices]. They are very fan orientated".[9][11][12] Uli Hoeneß, former president of Bayern Munich, was quoted as saying "We do not think the fans are like cows to be milked. Football has got to be for everybody."[10]

text: The spectator figures for league for the last ten seasons:

text:
Spectators

Season
Overall
Average
Best supported club
Average

2006–07[22]
12,226,795
39,957
Borussia Dortmund
72,652

2007–08[23]
12,069,813
39,444
Borussia Dortmund
72,510

2008–09[24]
13,011,578
42,521
Borussia Dortmund
74,851

2009–10[25]
13,001,871
42,490
Borussia Dortmund
77,246

2010–11[26]
13,054,960
42,663
Borussia Dortmund
79,151

2011–12[27]
13,805,514
45,116
Borussia Dortmund
80,521

2012–13[28]
13,042,263
42,622
Borussia Dortmund
80,520

2013–14[29]
13,311,145
43,500
Borussia Dortmund
80,297

2014–15[30]
13,323,031
43,539
Borussia Dortmund
80,463

2015–16[31]
13,249,778
43,300
Borussia Dortmund
81,178

2016–17[32]
12,703,167
41,514
Borussia Dortmund
79,653

text: Media coverage[edit]

text: Domestic[edit]

text: The Bundesliga TV, radio, internet, and mobile broadcast rights are distributed by DFL Sports Enterprises, a subsidiary of the Deutsche Fußball Liga. The Bundesliga broadcast rights are sold along with the broadcast rights to the Bundesliga Relegation Playoffs, 2. Bundesliga and DFL-Supercup.[33]

text:
TV:
From 2017–18 to 2020–21 Bundesliga matches are broadcast on TV in Germany on Sky Germany and Eurosport

text:
Day
Time
Pay TV
Free TV

Friday
20:30
Eurosport 2 Xtra (1 match)
ZDF (only 1. and 18. matchday)

Saturday
15:30
Sky Sport Bundesliga (5 matches)

Saturday
18:30
Sky Sport Bundesliga (1 match)

Sunday
13:30
Eurosport 2 Xtra (1 match only 5 times a season)

Sunday
15:30
Sky Sport Bundesliga(1 match)

Sunday
18:00
Sky Sport Bundesliga (1 match)

Monday
20:30
Eurosport 2 Xtra (1 match only 5 times a season)

text:
Radio
VHF radio: ARD radios (selected matches or simulcast on saturday)
Internet radio: free for Amazon Prime subscriber (every single match or simulcast)
club radios are only available over internet/audio stream

text: Global[edit]

text: The Bundesliga is broadcast on TV in over 200 countries. In October 2013, 21st Century Fox, via the Fox Sports, Fox International Channels, and Sky plc divisions, acquired television and digital rights to the Bundesliga in 80 territories, including North America and Asia (outside of India and Oceania) for five years, and selected European territories for two years, beginning in the 2015–16 season. CEO James Murdoch explained that the deal was designed to "leverage our unrivaled global portfolio of sports channels to bolster the Bundesliga brand in every corner of the globe."[34][35]

text: As a result of this partnership, Fox Sports replaced GOL TV as United States rightsholder beginning in the 2015–16 season. Matches are broadcast by Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, Fox Sports Networks and Fox Soccer Plus. Spanish-language telecasts air on Fox Deportes. Matches stream online for subscribers to these channels on participating providers via Fox Sports Go, and are also available through the subscription service Fox Soccer 2Go.[36][37] In Canada, broadcast rights were sub-licensed to Sportsnet and Sportsnet World.[38]

text: In the United Kingdom and in Ireland, the Bundesliga is broadcast live on BT Sport. ITV4 broadcasts delayed highlights the following Monday. This arrangement lasts through the 2017 season. In Spain, the Bundesliga is broadcast live on Movistar+.[39]

text: In 2015, digital TV operator StarTimes acquired exclusive television rights for Sub-Saharan Africa for 5 years starting from 2015-2016 season.[40]

text: Champions[edit]

text: In total, 43 clubs have won the German championship, including titles won before the Bundesliga's inception and those in the East German Oberliga. The record champions are Bayern Munich with 27 titles,[41] ahead of BFC Dynamo Berlin with 10 (all in East Germany) and 1. FC Nürnberg with 9.

text: The following 12 clubs have won the Bundesliga: Bayern Munich (26 titles), Borussia Mönchengladbach and Borussia Dortmund (5), Werder Bremen (4), Hamburger SV and VfB Stuttgart (3), 1. FC Köln and FC Kaiserslautern (2), TSV 1860 Munich, Eintracht Braunschweig, 1. FC Nürnberg and VfL Wolfsburg (1). No club from former East Germany or Berlin has won the Bundesliga.

text:
Season
Bundesliga Champion[42]

Season
Bundesliga Champion

Season
Bundesliga Champion

Season
Bundesliga Champion

63–64
1. FC Köln
77–78
1. FC Köln
91–92
VfB Stuttgart
05–06
Bayern Munich

64–65
Werder Bremen
78–79
Hamburger SV
92–93
Werder Bremen
06–07
VfB Stuttgart

65–66
1860 Munich
79–80
Bayern Munich
93–94
Bayern Munich
07–08
Bayern Munich

66–67
Eintracht Braunschweig
80–81
Bayern Munich
94–95
Borussia Dortmund
08–09
VfL Wolfsburg

67–68
1. FC Nürnberg
81–82
Hamburger SV
95–96
Borussia Dortmund
09–10
Bayern Munich

68–69
Bayern Munich
82–83
Hamburger SV
96–97
Bayern Munich
10–11
Borussia Dortmund

69–70
Borussia Mönchengladbach
83–84
VfB Stuttgart
97–98
1. FC Kaiserslautern
11–12
Borussia Dortmund

70–71
Borussia Mönchengladbach
84–85
Bayern Munich
98–99
Bayern Munich
12–13
Bayern Munich

71–72
Bayern Munich
85–86
Bayern Munich
99–00
Bayern Munich
13–14
Bayern Munich

72–73
Bayern Munich
86–87
Bayern Munich
00–01
Bayern Munich
14–15
Bayern Munich

73–74
Bayern Munich
87–88
Werder Bremen
01–02
Borussia Dortmund
15–16
Bayern Munich

74–75
Borussia Mönchengladbach
88–89
Bayern Munich
02–03
Bayern Munich
16–17
Bayern Munich

75–76
Borussia Mönchengladbach
89–90
Bayern Munich
03–04
Werder Bremen

76–77
Borussia Mönchengladbach
90–91
1. FC Kaiserslautern
04–05
Bayern Munich

text: Honours[edit]

text: In 2004, the honour of "Verdiente Meistervereine" (roughly “distinguished champion clubs”) was introduced, following a custom first practised in Italy[43] to recognize sides that have won multiple championships or other honours by the display of gold stars on their team badges and jerseys. Each country's usage is unique and in Germany the practice is to award one star for three titles, two stars for five titles, three stars for 10 titles, and four stars for 20 titles.

text: The former East German side Dynamo Berlin laid claim to the three stars of a 10-time champion. They petitioned the league to have their DDR-Oberliga titles recognized, but received no reply. Dynamo eventually took matters into their own hands and emblazoned their jerseys with three stars. This caused some debate given what may be the tainted nature of their championships under the patronage of East Germany's secret police, the Stasi. The issue also affects other former East German and pre-Bundesliga champions. In November 2005, the DFB allowed 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.[44]

text: The DFB format only applies to teams playing below the Bundesliga (below the top two divisions), since the DFL conventions apply in the Bundesliga. BFC Dynamo Berlin have not followed this guideline and continue to wear three stars, rather than a single star inscribed with the number 10. Greuther Fürth unofficially display three (silver) stars for pre-war titles in spite of being in the Bundesliga second division. These stars are a permanent part of their crest. However, Fürth has to leave the stars out on their jersey.

text: As of June 2010 the following clubs are officially allowed to wear stars while playing in the Bundesliga. The number in parentheses is for Bundesliga titles won.

text:
Bayern Munich (26)
  Borussia Mönchengladbach (5)
  Borussia Dortmund (5)
 Werder Bremen (4)
 Hamburger SV (3)
 VfB Stuttgart (3)

text: In addition, a system of one star designation was adopted for use. This system is intended to take into account not only Bundesliga titles but also other (now defunct) national championships. As of July 2014, the following clubs are allowed to wear one star while playing outside the Bundesliga. The number in parentheses is for total league championships won over the course of German football history, and would be displayed within the star. Some teams listed here had different names while winning their respective championships, these names are also noted in parentheses.

text:
Bayern Munich* (27)
 Dynamo Berlin (10)
 1. FC Nürnberg** (9)
 Borussia Dortmund* (8)
 Dynamo Dresden** (8)
 Schalke 04* (7)
 Hamburger SV* (7) (1921–22, Title declined per DFB)
 1. FC Frankfurt (as Vorwärts Berlin in the DDR-Oberliga) (6)
 VfB Stuttgart* (5)
 Borussia Mönchengladbach* (5)
 Werder Bremen* (4)
 1. FC Kaiserslautern** (4)
 Erzgebirge Aue** (include 1955 DDR-Oberliga unofficial fall championship) (4)
 Carl Zeiss Jena*** (3)

 1. FC Köln* (3)
 Lokomotive Leipzig (as VfB Leipzig) (3)
 1. FC Magdeburg*** (3)
 Greuther Fürth** (3)
 Hertha BSC* (2)
 FC Viktoria 1889 Berlin (as BFC Viktoria 1889) (2)
 Rot-Weiß Erfurt*** (as Turbine Erfurt in the DDR-Oberliga) (2)
 Dresdner SC (2)
 BSG Chemie Leipzig (as Chemie Leipzig in the DDR-Oberliga) (2)
 Hannover 96* (2)
 FSV Zwickau*** (as ZSG Horch Zwickau in the DDR-Oberliga) (2)
 Turbine Halle (as BSG Turbine Halle in the DDR-Oberliga) (2)
 Hansa Rostock*** (in the DDR-Oberliga) (1)

 Karlsruher FV (1)
 Holstein Kiel** (1)
 1860 Munich (1)
 Blau Weiss Berlin (as SpVgg Blau-Weiß 1890 Berlin) (1)
 Karlsruher SC*** (1)
 Fortuna Düsseldorf** (1)
 Eintracht Frankfurt* (1)
 VfL Wolfsburg* (1)
 Chemnitzer FC*** (as FC Karl-Marx-Stadt in the DDR-Oberliga) (1)
 Freiburger FC (1)
 VfR Mannheim (1)
 Rot-Weiss Essen (1)
 Eintracht Braunschweig** (1)

text:
* currently member of 1. Bundesliga
** currently member of 2. Bundesliga
*** currently member of 3. Liga

text: Logo history[edit]

text: For the first time in 1996, the Bundesliga was given its own logo to distinguish itself. Six years later, the logo was revamped into a portrait orientation, which was used until 2010. A new logo was announced for the 2010–11 season in order to modernise the brand logo for all media platforms.[45] To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Bundesliga, a special logo was developed for the 2012–13 season, featuring a "50" and "1963–2013".[46] Following the season, the 2010 logo was restored. 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.[47]

text:
Logo used from 1996–2002

Logo used from 2002–2006

Logo used from 2006–2010

Logo used from 2010–2012 and 2013–2017

Logo used during the 2012–13 season, the 50th Bundesliga season

New logo from the start of the 2017–18 season

text: Records[edit]

text: Appearances[edit]

text: As of 1 June 2016

text:
Top Ten Players With Most Appearances[48]

Player
Period
Club(s)
Games

1
 Karl-Heinz Körbel
1972–1991
Eintracht Frankfurt
602

2
 Manfred Kaltz
1971–1991
Hamburger SV
581

3
 Oliver Kahn
1987–2008
Karlsruher SC, Bayern Munich
557

4
 Klaus Fichtel
1965–1988
Schalke 04, Werder Bremen
552

5
 Miroslav Votava
1976–1996
Borussia Dortmund, Werder Bremen
546

6
 Klaus Fischer
1968–1988
1860 Munich, Schalke 04, 1. FC Köln, VfL Bochum
535

7
 Eike Immel
1978–1995
Borussia Dortmund, VfB Stuttgart
534

8
 Willi Neuberger
1966–1983
Borussia Dortmund, Werder Bremen, Eintracht Frankfurt
520

9
 Michael Lameck
1972–1988
VfL Bochum
518

10
 Uli Stein
1978–1997
Arminia Bielefeld, Hamburger SV, Eintracht Frankfurt
512

text: Top scorers[edit]

text:
Top ten goalscorers[49]

Player
Period
Club(s)
Goals

1
 Gerd Müller
1965–1979
Bayern Munich
365 (Ø 0.85)

2
 Klaus Fischer
1968–1988
1860 Munich, Schalke 04, 1. FC Köln, VfL Bochum
268 (Ø 0.50)

3
 Jupp Heynckes
1965–1978
Borussia Mönchengladbach, Hannover 96
220 (Ø 0.60)

4
 Manfred Burgsmüller
1969–1990
Rot-Weiss Essen, Borussia Dortmund, 1. FC Nürnberg, Werder Bremen
213 (Ø 0.48)

5
 Claudio Pizarro
1999–present
Werder Bremen, Bayern Munich, 1. FC Köln
191 (Ø 0.44)

6
 Ulf Kirsten
1990–2003
Bayer Leverkusen
182 (Ø 0.52)

7
 Stefan Kuntz
1983–1999
VfL Bochum, Bayer Uerdingen, 1. FC Kaiserslautern, Arminia Bielefeld
179 (Ø 0.40)

8
 Dieter Müller
1973–1986
1. FC Köln, VfB Stuttgart, 1.FC Saarbrücken
177 (Ø 0.58)

 Klaus Allofs
1975–1993
Fortuna Düsseldorf, 1. FC Köln, Werder Bremen
177 (Ø 0.42)

10
 Hannes Löhr
1964–1977
1. FC Köln
166 (Ø 0.44)

 Robert Lewandowski
2010-present
Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich
166 (Ø 0.68)