Yeah they caught the big TV money ie won the big hands at the right time. it's all about money none of these clubs are successful based on gate receipts and producing local talent anymore. I understand fans like to think there's something special or different about their clubs but really they're all the same ****.
The crying about Liverpool and Man Utd is hilarious, end of the day success was built upon a successful business model and with that came money. Yes things change and it can all go tits up quickly but both clubs made their own fortunes and then took the financial opportunities that came their way. City then came along because someone very rich bought them, **** it, I don't care it's the way of the world. Perhaps Newcastle will become a power but I'm saying **** all and watching with interest.
To add to that the early PL years was also when they brought Butt, Scholes, Beckham, Neville's and that through the ranks. C'mon like credit where due.
ITV showed the first live game(s), I think it was either Arsenal or Liverpool, it could even of been them playing one another, can't remember, I would need to research. From what I understood though they dropped it after a short while, because either they couldn't afford it or deemed it not viable. The only reason I remember what I do was because I use to get my newspapers delivered in them days, and I remember there was even a match day programme to go with it, but my newsagents had to order it in for me and keep it to one side. That's when SKY came along and said thank you very much and sweeped it all up. Then ITV went with the bright idea of ITV Digital (OnDigital) for the EFL rights, that was so successful it went under and made all the lower league clubs go bust overnight. My club alone picked up a £10M debt from it, because our ground rebuild was being supported by the TV money. The rest as they say is history. I think it's next season SKY are buying into all the rights for the EFL, which means lower league games should get more TV airtime and I assume more money. Edit: looked it up... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Premiership_(TV_programme)
Early Liverpool success was a result of us finding some crazy good players and even then there were teams paying more than us we just got it right.. Just ****ing bow before our success and maybe one day you may be as good. Not ****ing likely though tbh.