Backstage Update On AEW Grand Slam Australia's Air Time

AEW's long-awaited in Australia is right around the corner, with Grand Slam Australia set to take place on February 15. Toni Storm will challenge Mariah May for the AEW Women's World Championship, and the dream team of Will Ospreay and Kenny Omega will face Kyle Fletcher and Konosuke Takeshita, but there has been some confusion as to when the show will air. 

During the latest edition of "Wrestling Observer Radio," Dave Meltzer gave some insight and detailed the benefits AEW could get from its unique timeslot.

"So I believe it's on a 20-hour tape delay and the decision was made by TNT for the betterment of AEW," Meltzer said. "With the idea that going right after — so it's scheduled for 10:30. There's a good chance it's not going to be 10:30, the All-Star festivities always run long. Last year I think it ran to about 11:05 or so. When that's over, it's going to have a very large number. No post-game show, no nothing, they're going to go right into the Australia show."

Meltzer also explained that it is a unique opportunity for AEW as it will not only have a gigantic lead-in from the NBA, which will benefit the ratings for the show. But because it will air live on the West Coast, Grand Slam Australia will air in the primetime hours in places like California, which could result in the highest viewership of a Saturday AEW show in some time. 

Meltzer believes that AEW will have to start the show with a bang, or even build an angle that will be paid off at the Revolution pay-per-view on March 9, which just so happens to be taking place in Los Angeles.

Please credit "Wrestling Observer Radio" when using quotes from this article, and give a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.