2016 Tippeligaen
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.
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.
Teams
Sixteen teams competed in the league – the top fourteen teams from the previous season, and two teams promoted from 1. divisjon.Stadia and locations
| 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 | Sogndalsfjøra | 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 |
League table
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.''
Season statistics
Hat-tricks
| Player | For | Against | Result | Date |
 DisciplinePlayer
Club
|