| Competition: | Tippeligaen |
| Season: | 2016 |
| Winners: | Rosenborg 24th title |
| Relegated: | Bodø/Glimt Start |
| Continentalcup1: | Champions League |
| Continentalcup1 Qualifiers: | Rosenborg |
| Continentalcup2: | Europa League |
| Continentalcup2 Qualifiers: | Brann Odd Haugesund |
| Matches: | 240 |
| Total Goals: | 653 |
| League Topscorer: | Christian Gytkjær (19 goals) |
| Biggest Home Win: | (24 April 2016) (22 July 2016) (23 July 2016) |
| Biggest Away Win: | (29 May 2016) |
| Highest Scoring: | (20 April 2016) (9 July 2016) (6 August 2016) |
| Longest Wins: | Rosenborg (6 games) |
| Longest Unbeaten: | Rosenborg (26 games) |
| Longest Winless: | Start (24 games) |
| Longest Losses: | Bodø/Glimt (6 games) |
| Highest Attendance: | 21,298 (28 May 2016) |
| Lowest Attendance: | 2,375 (23 October 2016) |
| Average Attendance: | 6,971 3.9% |
| Prevseason: | 2015 |
| Nextseason: | Eliteserien 2017 |
| Dates: | 11 March – 6 November |
The 2016 Tippeligaen was the 72nd completed season of top-tier football in Norway. The competition began on 11 March 2016. Due to the 2016 UEFA European Championship, there was a break between the rounds played on 29 May and 3 July. The decisive matches of the home-and-away season were played on 6 November 2016. A promotion/relegation play-off between the third-from-bottom team of the Tippeligaen and the winner of the promotion play-offs of the 2016 1. divisjon was contested on 30 November and 4 December 2016.[1]
The league was contested by 16 teams: the 13 best teams of the 2015 season; the two teams who won direct promotion from the 2015 1. divisjon, Sogndal and Brann; and Start, who won the promotion/relegation play-off finals against Jerv.
The 2016 season was the last season the league was named Tippeligaen. The league changed its name to Eliteserien ahead of the 2017 season, a non-sponsor affiliated name controlled by the Football Association of Norway.
Sixteen teams competed in the league – the top fourteen teams from the previous season, and two teams promoted from 1. divisjon.
Note: Table lists in alphabetical order.
| Team | Location | Arena | Turf | Capacity | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aalesund | 15 | Ålesund | Color Line Stadion | Artificial | 10,778 | |
| Bodø/Glimt | 22 | Bodø | Aspmyra Stadion | Artificial | 7,354 | |
| Brann | 59 | Bergen | Brann Stadion | Natural | 17,686 | |
| Haugesund | 10 | Haugesund | Haugesund Stadion | Natural | 8,754 | |
| Lillestrøm | 53 | Lillestrøm | Åråsen Stadion | Natural | 12,250 | |
| Molde | 40 | Molde | Aker Stadion | Artificial | 11,800 | |
| Odd | 35 | Skien | Skagerak Arena | Artificial | 12,500 | |
| Rosenborg | 53 | Trondheim | Lerkendal Stadion | Natural | 21,405 | |
| Sarpsborg 08 | 5 | Sarpsborg | Sarpsborg Stadion | Artificial | 4,700 | |
| Sogndal | 17 | Sogndal | Fosshaugane Campus | Artificial | 5,539 | |
| Stabæk | 20 | Bærum | Nadderud Stadion | Natural | 7,000 | |
| Start | 40 | Kristiansand | Sør Arena | Artificial | 14,563 | |
| Strømsgodset | 29 | Drammen | Marienlyst Stadion | Artificial | 8,935 | |
| Tromsø | 29 | Tromsø | Alfheim Stadion | Artificial | 6,859 | |
| Vålerenga | 56 | Oslo | Ullevaal Stadion | Natural | 28,000 | |
| Viking | 67 | Stavanger | Viking Stadion | Natural | 16,300 |
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment | Table | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stabæk |  Bob Bradley | Contract expired | 10 November 2015[2] | Pre-season | Billy McKinlay | 30 November 2015[3] | Pre-season | |
| Bodø/Glimt |  Jan Halvor Halvorsen | Contract expired | 18 November 2015[4] | Pre-season | Aasmund Bjørkan | 18 November 2015 | Pre-season | |
| Start | Bård Borgersen | Contract expired | 31 December 2015[5] | Pre season | Steinar Pedersen | 1 January 2016 | Pre season | |
| Haugesund | Jostein Grindhaug | Contract expired | 31 December 2015[6] | Pre season | Mark Dempsey | 1 January 2016[7] | Pre season | |
| Stabæk | Billy McKinlay | Resigned | 8 July 2016[8] | 15th | Antoni Ordinas | 8 July 2016 | 15th | |
| Haugesund | Mark Dempsey | Resigned | 14 July 2016[9] | 6th |  Andrea Loberto | 14 July 2016 | 6th | |
| Lillestrøm |  Rúnar Kristinsson | Sacked | 18 September 2016[10] | 15th | Arne Erlandsen | 19 September 2016[11] | 15th | |
| Strømsgodset | Bjørn Petter Ingebretsen | Resigned | 13 October 2016[12] | 8th | Tor Ole Skullerud | 18 October 2016[13] | 8th | |
| Vålerenga | Kjetil Rekdal | Structural changes | 21 October 2016[14] | 11th | Ronny Deila | 21 October 2016 | 11th |
See main article: 2016 Eliteserien promotion/relegation play-offs. The 14th-placed team, Stabæk, took part in a two-legged play-off against Jerv, the winners of the 2016 1. divisjon promotion play-offs, to decide who would play in the 2017 Eliteserien.Stabæk won 2–1 on aggregate and retained their place in the 2017 Eliteserien; Jerv remained in the 1. divisjon.
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals | Games | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Christian Gytkjær | Rosenborg | 19 | 28 | 0,68 |
| 2 | Mos | Aalesund | 13 | 29 | 0,45 |
| 3 | Fitim Azemi | Bodø/Glimt | 11 | 29 | 0,38 |
| 4 |  Olivier Occéan | Odd | 10 | 28 | 0,36 |
| Torbjørn Agdestein | Haugesund | 10 | 30 | 0,33 | |
| 6 | Fred Friday | Lillestrøm | 8 | 14 | 0,57 |
| Marcus Pedersen | Strømsgodset | 8 | 19 | 0,42 | |
| Ghayas Zahid | Vålerenga | 8 | 28 | 0,29 | |
| Mike Jensen | Rosenborg | 8 | 28 | 0,29 | |
| Thomas Lehne Olsen | Tromsø | 8 | 30 | 0,27 |
See main article: List of Eliteserien hat-tricks.
| Player | For | Against | Result | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sarpsborg 08 | Start | 4–1 (A) | |||
| Aalesund | Tromsø | 6–0 (H) | |||
| Rosenborg | Lillestrøm | 4–3 (A) | |||
| Odd | Lillestrøm | 4–2 (A) |
Kjetil Wæhler (Vålerenga)
Francisco Júnior (Strømsgodset) Frode Kippe (Lillestrøm)| Award | Winner | Club | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Player of the Year | Rosenborg | ||
| Goalkeeper of the Year | Brann | ||
| Defender of the Year | Rosenborg | ||
| Midfielder of the Year | Rosenborg | ||
| Striker of the Year | Rosenborg | ||
| Manager of the Year | Lars Arne Nilsen | Brann | |
| Young Player of the Year | Vålerenga |
