MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - The Premier League celebrated its 30th anniversary on Monday, marking three decades that has seen English club football transformed into the world's leading sports entertainment product.
In 1992, the top clubs broke with 104 years of tradition by splitting from the Football League and controversially creating a 'super league' which would keep its own income rather than sharing it with the clubs across all four divisions of the professional game.
The American style approach, evident in mimicking the NFL's 'Monday Night Football', pushed the popularity of the national sport to new levels but at first some baulked at the razzmatazz. In time though, the TV income allowed clubs to attract top players from around the world which in turn drove interest abroad.
This year, for the first time, the league will generate more revenue from foreign television deals than the established domestic market. The early years were dominated by Manchester United who won seven of the first nine titles under Alex Ferguson in an era in which they enjoyed epic battles with Arsene Wenger's Arsenal team -- winners in 1998, 2002 and 2004.
For all the talk of 'marketing geniuses', from Arsenal's unbeaten 'Invincibles' season in 2003-4, to Sergio Aguero's last minute title winning goal for Manchester City eight years later, it has been the drama on the field that has constantly pushed the growth in popularity.
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