The San Francisco 49ers, commonly referred to as the Niners, are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and joined the NFL in 1950 after the AAFC merged with the NFL. The Niners have won five Super Bowl championships and have been to the playoffs 30 times. They are one of the most successful teams in NFL history.