At a meeting on 1 June 1994, twelve club representatives founded the Handball-Bundesliga-Vereinigung der Männer HBVM e.V. (Men's Handball Bundesliga Association). The task and purpose of the foundation was to promote the sport of handball, particularly in the Bundesliga, and to represent the interests and involvement of the Bundesliga clubs towards the DHB.

As part of a new basic agreement between the DHB and the league association, HBVM e.V. was restructured as Handball-Bundesliga e.V. on 28 June 2003. This still exists today.

HBL Handball-Bundesliga GmbH was founded on 21 July 2004 to manage the operational business and has been responsible for the organisation and implementation of match operations on behalf of HBL e.V. ever since.