*By Michael Teich*
The Baltimore Ravens are betting cheap pretzels and discounted soda will lure fans off their couches, away from their steaming services, and back to the stadium.
"It's going to change the game on the way our fans experience the stadium," Richard Tamayo, director of guest experiences for the NFL team, said Thursday in an interview on Cheddar. "It’s going to be really family-friendly when it comes to pricing."
The Ravens are slashing prices of 21 concession items by an average rate of 33 percent. Some fan favorites get the biggest discounts ー the price of soft pretzels and french fries will be cut in half.
The team has dedicated significant capital to an ongoing [$120 million renovation](http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/ravens-insider/bs-sp-ravens-improvements-at-mt-bank-stadium-20180130-story.html) of its M&T Bank Stadium. Fans this season will be treated to new video boards, a fresh sound system, and "some of the best Wi-Fi in the country," Tamayo said.
All those bells and whistles could be an attempt to draw in crowds that are already glued to multiple screens. The rise of streaming has been blamed for a drop in TV viewership for NFL games. Broadcast ratings fell 13 percent for the regular season in 2017-18, while playoff games slid 12 to 20 percent, according to [MoffettNathanson](https://www.recode.net/2018/1/29/16944580/nfl-ratings-structural-decline-tv-playoffs-moffettnathanson-trump-protests).
The Ravens start their season against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/strengthening-nfl-stadium-experience-with-cheaper-food).
If you had any lingering doubts that eSports had gone mainstream, they would have been erased when the North American League of Legends Summer Split took over the Oracle Arena ー home to the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors. Cheddar was there for the last stop before the World Championships in South Korea next month.
Bettis, known as "The Bus" when he was an unstoppable running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers, voiced support for the NFL player protests but also said he thought the league was "doing the right thing" in a tense situation.
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