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99 is available exclusively on Prime Video on 17th May when all three parts will drop globally.

99 - Full Synopsis

1999 was a year of ground-breaking success for England’s biggest and most powerful football club, Manchester United. Despite dominating domestic football during the 90s, manager Alex Ferguson was yet to restore Manchester United’s European glory when in 1999, glory arrived in an unprecedented fashion. In just ten days, Ferguson’s team of home-grown talent and international stars won three trophies, the Premiership, the FA Cup and the European Champions League; achieving the first ‘treble’ in English football history. This destiny hung in the balance until the final moments of the 1999 Champions League final, when Manchester United capped off their incredible season with the most unbelievable comeback in football history, scoring two goals in stoppage time. 25 years later, filmmaker Sampson Collins, with access to the team and new revelations and footage from inside the dressing room explores the excitement, unparalleled determination, and miraculous twists of fate leading up to the remarkable achievement.

Following the treble in ‘99, Manchester United was elevated to new heights. The club became a global brand with one of the largest fan bases worldwide; Alex Ferguson became ‘Sir’ Alex Ferguson and cemented his place as one of the greatest managers of all time; David Beckham’s superstar football and celebrity status soared. Approaching the 1998/99 season however, such scenes were a pipe dream. United had been stunned by a new force in the Premiership, Arsène Wenger’s Arsenal, who as reigning champions were looking to create a new era in English football. At the start of the season, summer scandal surrounded young Beckham, whose World Cup red card brought only more unwanted media attention to Ferguson’s team. At the same time, United appeared to lack the quality required to win in Europe following the departure of French superstar, Eric Cantona. 1999 therefore presented a fascinating story for Collins, who interviewed the team in search of the answer to how it all happened.

The three episodes of the series are divided by the three trophies but they shift back in time to deliver the powerful character arcs of players like Andy Cole and to exhibit the characteristic United spirit which goes back to the era of iconic manager, Sir Matt Busby, and was in the late 90s epitomised by Ferguson’s home-grown talent known as the Class of ‘92. Director Sampson Collins’ access to the team allowed him to discover the players’ psychological intensity, their commitment to never giving in no matter what, and their willingness to risk everything to make history. It is the stories the players share with Collins which gives the series more depth than just a retrospective documentary about a good football team. Weaving their personal stories into the journey of the season, Collins shows how their mentality pushed them through dire situations to achieve the miraculous comeback victories witnessed throughout the series and which makes 99 so dramatic.

About Studio 99

Studio 99 is a full-service content studio with the mission of producing content for a global audience. The studio operates both Editorial and Commercial Production alongside a full suite of brand and communications campaign planning and execution.

The Editorial production company specialises in developing premium, bluechip documentary features, series and formats for global platforms and networks. Completed projects include Fever Pitch: Rise of the Premier League for the BBC that premiered in August 2021, Fever Pitch: The Battle for the Premier League for Paramount+ that premiered in May 2023 and Save Our Squad with David Beckham for Disney+ that premiered in November 2022. Recently launched on Netflix is Beckham - charting the life and career of David Beckham, directed and produced by two Oscar-winners: Fisher Stevens and John Battsek. The series became the most watched Netflix show in the UK, USA and Australia within 24 hours of launch and has received a BAFTA nomination for the “Memorable Moment Award.”

Currently in production are an ESPN 30 for 30 series as well as World War Shoe: Adidas vs Puma (Working Title) for Disney+ that explores the historic sporting rivalry between the two brands.

Studio 99’s creative agency delivers a full service offer to clients from creative and brand strategy through to campaign execution. Partnered with DBVL’s communication and digital teams it creates content for David Beckham’s 150m global social media followers and generates full scale media coverage with campaigns, marketing and digital management. Studio 99 is part of the Authentic Studios Group.