REC Networks Fun and Games announces a new 13-episode video series: “Michi-chan’s RAW Derby”
Schedule reveal of upcoming episodes of the series will premiere Thursday, September 11, 2025 at 7:30 local time in Phoenix/Tucson, 10:30 PM EDT at the Michi-chan Sports channel on YouTube.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
REC Networks Fun and Games Department announces a new 13-episode video series: “Michi-chan’s RAW Derby”
Riverton, Maryland (September 11, 2025) - - - REC Networks, through Michi-chan Sports, part of REC’s Fun and Games Department is announcing the production and eventual release of a 13-episode video series, “Michi-chan’s RAW Derby”.
While the sport of roller derby was invented by Leo Seltzer with roots tracing back to the 1930s, there was a modern resurgence of the sport that started in the early 2000s. At its start, the modern resurgence was primarily a women’s domain. Some of the first modern roller derby leagues started in Austin, Texas and in Phoenix, Arizona. Modern roller derby is played primarily on “flat track” surfaces though a handful leagues including at least one in Austin and Phoenix are using the traditional banked track. Unlike the pre-resurgence sport, modern roller derby is amateur with many roller derby leagues being §501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. The game play has evolved over time as the skaters, who control the operation of these leagues continue to evolve the sport. The Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) currently has over 400 member leagues in most continents. USA Roller Sports (USARS), the national governing body which reports to WorldSkate (formerly FIRS) is recognized by the International Olympic Committee. In addition, various leagues and national associations were developed for the promotion of men’s competition and junior (under 18) roller derby.
As the “second birthplace” of modern roller derby, Arizona had, and still has a considerable abundance of leagues, especially in the Phoenix area. From the period from 2007~2010, Michi-chan Roller Sports Productions (MCRSP), part of the Fun and Games Department at REC Networks has been covering the sport with video and written content as well as public appearances. MCRSP was relaunched in 2025 as Michi-chan Sports in order to focus not just on roller derby, but also on other sports, including the increasingly growing professional sport of Banana Ball.
During the time MCRSP was actively covering these events (called “bouts”), we had accumulated many hours of roller derby footage and commentary. Some of which was originally presented in the 2007~2010 Michi-chan era, but much of it that was never published. Michi-chan Sports has recently undergone a restoration effort that moved content off of hundreds of CD-ROMs into more modern storage. Through this effort, we were able to retrieve approximately 97% of the content that was archived.
Starting on September 18, 2025, Michi-chan Sports will be presenting a new video series called “Michi-chan’s RAW Derby”, a play on the name of our previous program that aired in 2007~2009 called “Michi-chan’s REAL Derby”. We are planning on releasing new episodes every Thursday from September 18, 2025 through December 18, 2025 (except Thanksgiving day), a total of 13 episodes for the season. All episodes (including the schedule reveal) episode will premiere on YouTube at 7:30 PM, local time in Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona (Most of Arizona does not observe daylight saving time, therefore, that would be 10:30PM EDT during daylight time and 9:30PM EST during standard time).
These shows will include full, or near-full play by play (jam by jam) coverage of these bouts, some with play by play commentary by Michelle (“Michi-chan”) Bradley and some without. The presentation will include other historical information about the league being showcased and other features such as “Off Track” which includes candid videography of the venue focusing on fans and other activities taking place that is not on the track of play; and “Derby Keepsakes” which will provide scans of the programs that were given to spectators who attended the live bout. Each episode can last between 50 and 90 minutes depending on the league and the outcome of the bout.
Leagues that will be spotlighted in this series include still active leagues such as Arizona Derby Dames, Arizona Roller Derby, Tucson Roller Derby and Tucson Derby Brats, as well as defunct leagues, including Phoenix City Rollers and Arizona Renegade Rollergirls and will focus on the period between 2007 and 2009.
On September 11, 2025, Michi-chan Sports will premiere a short video which will reveal the schedule for season one of Michi-chan’s RAW Derby. On that episode, we will reveal the league and matchups for 12 of the 13 bouts in the season. We are making the thirteenth episode a holiday surprise.
Michi-chan’s REAL Derby and the posting of other derby related content is intended for historic preservation purposes and an effort to keep the memory of the early “classic modern” game alive.
All bouts will air on the Michi-chan Sports YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/@michichansports
We encourage everyone to please subscribe to that channel.
For a sneak preview of the content you may see on the program, visit our “safety briefing” video:
We anticipate that there will be more content available for a second season, though it may not be a full 13 weeks of material. We will make those announcements in 2026.
We are constructing a new website to support this effort
https://iwantmorederby.com
Please also give a like to Michi-chan Sports on Facebook:
https://facebook.com/michichansports
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About REC Networks: REC Networks is the alter-ego of Michelle Bradley, a leading regulatory advocate working mainly with media and spectrum related issues regulated by the Federal Communications Commission. REC is a strong defender of “small” broadcasters and is a major force in the promotion of the Low Power FM (LPFM) radio service. REC addresses these regulatory issues in a non-partisan approach we call “bonnet on”.
About Michi-chan Sports: Started in 2007 as Michi-chan Roller Sports Productions (MCRSP), Michi-chan Sports is a creative outlet that originally focused on modern resurgence flat and banked track roll derby. Under MCRSP, it produced 7 long-form video shows called “The Arizona Derby Report” and “Michi-chan’s Real Derby”. As such, a lot of recorded footage had been recorded and most of that footage exists to this day. In 2025, MRCSP was rebranded Michi-chan Sports in an effort to widen the scope of coverage beyond modern resurgence roller derby to include other non-“top tier” non-collegiate/non-scholastic sports with a focus on the Banana Ball franchise from Fans First Entertainment and The Warehouse Games from Jomboy Media. Michi-chan Sports believes other sports need love too. Today, Michi-chan Sports has an upstart social media presence on Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.