How to watch German Bundesliga 2023-24 season on ESPN+ - ESPN

Founded in 1963-64, the German Bundesliga has been one of the best domestic leagues in all of world soccer since its inception and with storylines galore up and down the table, it promises to be another gripping, nine-month battle for the crown.

Here's what you need to know in order to enjoy the Bundesliga this season.

The 2023-24 Bundesliga campaign begins on Friday, Aug. 18 when Werder Bremen host defending champs Bayern Munich (2:30 p.m. ET), and runs through May 18, 2024.

The action is available live all season long on ESPN+ in the U.S., beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET on Aug. 18.

Can't watch live? All games will be available on replay and with full highlights across ESPN+ and ESPN.com.

It's simple: the league title! Bayern Munich managed a remarkable 11th straight trophy at the end of last season, but it required a Borussia Dortmund meltdown on the final day of the 2022-23 season to give the Bavarians the opening they needed to win their final game and finish the campaign on top.

Since the Bundesliga officially began in 1963-64, Bayern have claimed it a lot more than anyone else, with 32 Bundesliga wins — Dortmund are a distant second with six since the beginning of the league as we know it. Yet you have to go back to 2011-12 for their most recent crown.

The main storyline of the season is going to be whether big spending can steer Bayern out of this skid and whether an angry, scarred version of Borussia Dortmund can make another run. That's not the only storyline, however.

Aug. 18: Bayern Munich at Werder Bremen. A former Premier League standout will make his long-awaited debut on the opening Friday of the season. How perfect. I am talking, of course… about Naby Keita. The 28-year old joins Werder Bremen after five