AEWs Australian debut has been surrounded by controversy, but according to Tony Khan, the backlash didnt stop the company from pulling off a massive success. What started as fan frustration over AEW seemingly flip-flopping on whether AEW Grand Slam: Australia was a pay-per-view or a televised event has now turned into one of the biggest international gates in AEW history.
Khan spoke to Deej of DownUnderTheRing, addressing the events ticket sales and the financial success of the show. This is one of our biggest international events ever. Its one of our biggest gates in the history of AEW. Were really excited for that, Khan said. Outside of Wembley Stadium in London, this is going to be, I believe, our biggest international live gate of all time. Its a very exciting event for AEW.
The controversy kicked off after AEWs official Twitter account mistakenly called Grand Slam: Australia a pay-per-view before quickly editing the post. Fans immediately called out the company for the change, pointing out that AEW had previously stated the event would be a televised special. Screenshots of the original tweet spread across social media, with fans accusing Khan of misleading them. Some even went as far as to call him a liar and claim AEW had always intended for the show to be a PPV before backtracking.
Khan addressed the situation in an interview with Scott Fishman of TV Insider, explaining that the event was always meant to be on TNT due to network scheduling. Yes. Having this be a TV event has always been the plan. Thats something that the network wanted. Its something the network brought to us recently as an opportunity to follow NBA All-Star Saturday, Khan explained. We saw it as a huge opportunity. It was a great vote of confidence from our partners at Warner Brothers Discovery. It will be one of the biggest nights of the year on TNT.
Despite fans feeling slightedespecially those who were unable to get refunds after the event moved from Suncorp Stadium to Brisbane Entertainment CentreAEW Grand Slam: Australia is now being recognized as a financial win for the company. With Khan touting its massive gate, all eyes will be on AEW to see if they can deliver a show that justifies the controversy.
Do you think AEW handled the situation correctly, or were fans right to call them out? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
