The League was given a pilot order on July 15, 2009, with the pilot written and directed by Jeff Schaffer, with Jackie Schaffer co-directing.

The series received a full series order on August 20, 2009, initially for six episodes, before expanding to 13-episode seasons starting with season two, which premiered September 16, 2010.

The show moved from FX to the newly launched FXX network starting with its fifth season, which premiered on September 4, 2013.

The series ran for seven seasons total, concluding with its final season premiering September 9, 2015, an ending announced on December 8, 2014.

The show is semi-improvised, with the cast performing largely unscripted dialogue around the show's fantasy football scenarios.

Several well-known NFL players and analysts appeared as themselves in guest roles over the years, including Terry Bradshaw, Chad Johnson, Deion Sanders, J.J. Watt, Marshawn Lynch, and Robert Griffin III, among many others.

Seasons 1 through 4 were released on Blu-ray Disc in Region 1, and the show was added to Hulu in 2018.