Despite speculation, Tony Khan confirms that AEW’s upcoming debut in Australia was always planned as a television event and not a pay-per-view.
All Elite Wrestling President Tony Khan recently sat down with Scott Fishman of TV Insider. When asked if Grand Slam Australia was previously planned as a pay-per-view, Khan confirmed the event was always planned to be a TV special.
“Yes. Having this be a TV event has always been the plan,” Tony Khan confirmed. “That’s something that the network wanted. It’s something the network brought to us recently as an opportunity to follow NBA All-Star Saturday. We saw it as a huge opportunity. It was a great vote of confidence for our partners at Warner Brothers Discovery. It will be one of the biggest nights of the year on TNT. It’s a great opportunity given the lead-in.”
While Grand Slam Australia might have always been envisioned as a television special, it was initially going to be much bigger. Last August at AEW All In when this event was announced, it was planned for Suncorp Stadium. A venue that could seat over 50,000 people.
Months later in November, it was announced that the event was moving from Suncorp Stadium to the Brisbane Entertainment Centre. This venue only seats roughly 13,000.
READ MORE: Kenny Omega And Will Ospreay To Team Up At AEW Grand Slam Australia
What do you make of Tony Khan’s comments? Would you have preferred Grand Slam Australia to be a live pay-per-view instead of a pre-taped TV special? Let us know your thoughts by sounding off in the comments section below.
