Popularity Dips

In 1951, Seltzer terminated his contract with ABC and negotiated a deal with General Motors to broadcast the games on NBC, but the deal fell through. Although a few independent stations continued to broadcast games, the loss of network broadcasting was devastating to Roller Derby, and fan interest soon plummeted.

Seltzer Moves West

Madison Square Garden no longer hosted matches, fan clubs fell apart, and Seltzer left the business in favor of pursuing real estate interests. He then moved westward to Los Angeles and took Roller Derby with him. In July 1953, Seltzer created the L.A. Braves, Derby’s first international team who embarked on a European tour.