Borussia Dortmund have come up with an unusual way to improve the atmosphere at Signal Iduna Park: rewarding supporters who resist the temptation to check their smartphones during matches. In partnership with telecommunications company Vodafone, the German club is introducing a new feature that turns putting your phone away into a competition, with signed shirts and other prizes up for grabs.
Football stadiums have changed dramatically over the past decade. Where supporters once watched every attack, celebrated goals with complete strangers and rarely took their eyes off the pitch, smartphones have become an increasingly familiar sight in the stands. Fans film celebrations, record free kicks, take selfies and share their experiences on social media, sometimes spending more time looking through a screen than watching the match itself. Borussia Dortmund, a club famous for having one of the most passionate fan bases in European football, believe it is time to encourage supporters to rediscover the experience of simply being present.
According to a statement published by Borussia Dortmund, the initiative was inspired partly by research conducted by Vodafone in 2023. A survey involving 1,000 regular stadium visitors found that 63% used their smartphones during football matches. While mobile devices have become an important part of the modern matchday experience, the club also highlighted growing frustration among fans over constant selfies, video recording and social media activity in the stands. Its new initiative aims to address that problem without introducing restrictions or telling supporters how they must enjoy football.
How Borussia Dortmund's New Fan Mode Works
The feature, called FanModus, will make its debut on Saturday, October 24, when Dortmund host Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga. It is integrated into the club's official mobile application and allows supporters attending the match to activate a special mode before kick-off. Once activated, participants lock their smartphones and begin collecting points for every minute they keep their devices locked while the game is being played. The longer a supporter goes without checking their phone, the better their chances of winning a reward.
There is no need to stay completely disconnected for the entire afternoon. Supporters can use their phones during the half-time interval, although they must reactivate Fan Mode when the second half begins if they want to continue collecting points. The competition ends at the final whistle, with prizes including Borussia Dortmund shirts signed by players and gift cards for the club's official merchandise store. According to the club's dedicated FanModus information page, every phone-free minute improves a participant's chances of winning.
Participation is entirely voluntary, and the feature is available on both iOS and Android devices. Fans must give the application permission to access their location so that the club can verify they are actually attending the match at Signal Iduna Park. The initiative is designed for Bundesliga home fixtures rather than supporters watching Dortmund from their living rooms or following the game elsewhere.
A Club Trying to Protect Its Famous Stadium Atmosphere
The decision carries particular significance at Borussia Dortmund, whose Signal Iduna Park is renowned for its intimidating atmosphere and the enormous Yellow Wall. With a capacity of more than 81,000 spectators, the stadium represents a football culture built around collective emotion, noise and participation. Dortmund's management believes that encouraging supporters to pay greater attention to events on the pitch could help preserve something that makes attending matches fundamentally different from watching them on television.
Carsten Cramer, Borussia Dortmund's chief executive, explained that the collaboration with Vodafone was intended to demonstrate how technology could actually encourage people to use technology less. He argued that the experience of tens of thousands of supporters singing, celebrating and reacting together cannot be replaced by any digital platform. Vodafone Germany CEO Marcel de Groot expressed a similar view, encouraging fans to focus on the emotions of the match rather than their smartphone screens.
There is an interesting contradiction at the heart of the project. A telecommunications company, whose business depends on connecting people through technology, is helping a football club persuade supporters to disconnect from their devices. Rather than banning smartphones or criticising those who use them, the two organisations have turned the idea into a game, using the same reward-based mechanics that many mobile applications employ to keep users engaged.
Could Other Football Clubs Follow Dortmund's Example?
The initiative also raises a broader question about the modern football experience. Smartphones have made it easier than ever for supporters to share memorable moments, communicate with friends and capture footage that can travel around the world within seconds. Yet the desire to document every moment can sometimes interfere with experiencing it. A spectacular goal might be recorded perfectly on a phone, but the person filming it could miss the spontaneous celebration unfolding around them.
Dortmund's approach offers an alternative to the increasingly common criticism of phone use inside stadiums. Instead of portraying technology as the enemy of traditional football culture, the club is experimenting with a system that rewards supporters for making their own decision to put their devices away. Whether other clubs adopt similar programmes will likely depend on how fans respond and whether the initiative proves popular beyond its initial launch.
For now, Dortmund supporters attending Saturday's match against Eintracht Frankfurt will face a rather unusual challenge. While the players compete for three points on the pitch, thousands of fans will have the opportunity to compete for prizes in the stands — simply by keeping their phones in their pockets and watching the football.
Published by Patrick Jane
23.10.2026