*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).
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DraftKings CEO Jason Robins said West Virginia is the company's next, best opportunity for replicating the monster success it's seen in New Jersey as it rolls out a mobile sportsbook in the Mountain State. "West Virginia is an early mover and I think they're being smart and thoughtful about how they actually legislated and regulated," Robins told Cheddar Friday.
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New Jersey is on track to overtake Las Vegas as the new sports betting mecca, Darren Rovell, senior executive producer at The Action Network, told Cheddar in an interview Friday. With fewer than 7 months of sports betting on its books, New Jersey is expected to hit $1.2 billion to $1.3 billion in bets by the end of the year, Rovell said.
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