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German football giants Borussia Dortmund have introduced a new initiative to encourage fans to put away their smartphones and enjoy matches without distractions, offering signed shirts and shopping vouchers to fans who limit their phone use during matches.
The initiative, called “Fan Mode”, is launched in collaboration with the telecommunications company Vodafone through Dortmund’s official mobile application. It will reward fans with points or prize entries for every minute they keep their phones locked during matches at the club’s home stadium, SIGNAL IDUNA PARK. Project reports
The club announced the initiative on Thursday 22 October, ahead of Saturday’s Bundesliga match against Eintracht Frankfurt, scheduled for 24 October 2026.
Dortmund said the scheme was designed to encourage fans to focus on the action on the pitch and the atmosphere in the stands rather than spending significant parts of matches taking selfies, recording videos, streaming or checking social media.
The initiative comes amid growing discussions in German football over the use of smartphones in stadiums and concerns that excessive filming and social media activity could detract from the shared experience of watching football live.
The study finds that 63% of fans use their phones regularly
The club’s decision follows a Vodafone survey conducted in 2023 among 1,000 regular stadium goers, which found that 63% regularly used their smartphones during matches.
The findings highlighted how phone use has become common among fans attending live football matches, even as stadiums continue to foster the atmosphere, collective excitement and connection that distinguishes watching a match in person from following it on television.
Dortmund said some fans had become increasingly frustrated with selfies, video recordings, streaming and social media activity in the stands.
The new initiative aims to encourage fans to stay involved with the match as it unfolds, from the goals and tackles to the chants and celebrations which add to the stadium experience.
With over 81,000 supporters expected at SIGNAL IDUNA PARK for the match against Eintracht Frankfurt, the club hopes the project will encourage more people to put away their phones and fully participate in the event.
The initiative also reflects a wider discussion about how technology can be used to enhance the matchday experience without becoming a distraction from the sporting event itself.
How Dortmund Fan Mode works
According to the program, fans can activate Fan Mode via the BVB app before kick-off of eligible home matches. Once the feature is activated, fans are encouraged to lock their phones and leave them untouched while the game is in progress.
The system records phone-free minutes, and each qualifying minute contributes to an entrant’s entries into the prize draw. The fewer supporters use their devices during the game, the more registrations they can accumulate and the greater their chance of winning prizes.
The clock starts at kick-off and counts a maximum of 90 minutes in both halves. Half-time is excluded, allowing fans to check their phones during half-time before returning to Fan Mode for the second half.
The feature also stops time counting when fans are actively using their phones or leaving the timer screen. After the final whistle, participants can return to the application to view their accumulated free minutes and submit their recordings.
Prizes include signed Borussia Dortmund shirts and gift vouchers for the club’s official fan shop. The rewards are intended to give supporters an added incentive to stay involved in the live action rather than constantly checking their devices.
Participation is voluntary and the initiative does not include a ban on the use of smartphones inside the stadium. Fans can still use their phones, but this may reduce the time accumulated during the competition.
The feature is available on iOS and Android devices and is intended for Bundesliga home matches at SIGNAL IDUNA PARK. Supporters wishing to enter the prize draw must meet the app’s eligibility requirements, including having a BVB account and being at least 16 years old.
Dortmund and Vodafone explain the initiative
Borussia Dortmund CEO Carsten Cramer said the partnership with Vodafone aims to demonstrate that technology can also help protect experiences that can best be enjoyed without digital distractions.
“With Vodafone we have a partner that not only understands what the technology is capable of, but also when it should take a backseat,” Cramer said.
He described the shared experience of tens of thousands of fans singing, cheering and reacting together as an important part of attending a live football match.
Vodafone Germany CEO Marcel de Groot also encouraged fans to focus on the emotions of the game rather than their screens.
He said football fans should experience the moment and atmosphere of the stadium, adding that fans should leave their smartphones in their pockets more often and focus on the action on the pitch and in the stands.
The partnership places technology at the center of an initiative designed to encourage people to use their devices less during games.
Instead of limiting smartphone use through stadium rules, the club relies on incentives and voluntary participation to influence fan behavior.
The initiative comes amid the debate over filming in stadiums
Dortmund’s announcement comes as German football clubs increasingly discuss the effect of social media content creation on the atmosphere inside stadiums.
Fans routinely use smartphones to capture goals, celebrate important moments, take photographs and share their experiences online. However, the growing popularity of filming matches for social media has also raised concerns that some spectators spend more time recording events than watching them.
Dortmund’s initiative seeks to address this concern without preventing fans from taking photographs or using their devices when necessary.
Other German clubs have introduced measures targeting certain types of shooting. Hertha Berlin, for example, announced restrictions on commercially produced and monetized video content at its matches, while continuing to allow personal photography and videos. Dynamo Dresden also announced restrictions on commercial filming on social media.
These measures reflect different approaches to balancing fans’ freedom to document their experiences with concerns about stadium atmosphere, commercial filming and broadcast rights.
Dortmund Fan Mode takes a different approach by offering rewards rather than imposing a blanket ban on phone use.
Much more than a prize competition
The initiative is expected to be available for Dortmund’s home Bundesliga matches, offering fans repeated participation opportunities throughout the season.
For the club the objective goes beyond the distribution of signed shirts and shopping vouchers. It is also an attempt to encourage fans to experience football collectively, particularly in a venue renowned for its passionate support and the atmosphere created by its large home crowd.
The Yellow Wall, Borussia Dortmund’s famous standing terrace, is central to the club’s identity and is known for the coordinated chants, flags and collective celebrations of its fans.
Dortmund hopes that initiatives such as Fan Mode will encourage fans to remain part of that atmosphere instead of watching the match mainly through their phone screens.
Whether the program will significantly change fan behavior will depend on how many fans choose to attend and how consistently they keep their phones locked during games.
For now, the club is using a simple incentive to make its point: Fans who spend more time watching football and less time on their phones can earn the opportunity to take home exclusive club merchandise.
With the launch of the initiative against Eintracht Frankfurt on 24 October, Dortmund will have a first opportunity to evaluate how fans respond to the new feature.
