The Handball-Bundesliga (HBL) is the top professional handball league in Germany. It was founded in 1979 and consists of 18 teams that compete in a home-and-away format over the course of a season. The team with the most points at the end of the season is crowned the champion. The bottom two teams are relegated to the second division, while the top two teams from the second division are promoted to the Handball-Bundesliga. The Handball-Bundesliga is one of the most competitive and popular handball leagues in the world and attracts top players from around the globe. It is managed by the German Handball Federation (DHB) and is sponsored by the Handball Liga Marketing (HLM), which is responsible for the marketing and promotion of the league.