Borussia Dortmund launch FanModus to reward supporters for locking phones at Signal Iduna Park
BVB and Vodafone debut 'FanModus' against Eintracht Frankfurt
Borussia Dortmund have unveiled an unusual new initiative designed to coax supporters away from their smartphone screens and back into the matchday atmosphere at Signal Iduna Park. In partnership with principal sponsor Vodafone, the club will introduce a feature called “FanModus” within its official mobile application, rewarding spectators for keeping their phones locked while the action unfolds on the pitch.
The programme makes its debut during Saturday evening’s Bundesliga encounter against Eintracht Frankfurt, which kicks off at 18:30 CEST.
How the system works
According to Dortmund’s official announcement, the aim is to encourage fans to engage more fully with the matchday experience rather than documenting every moment through their devices. The feature operates through the official BVB application: supporters activate FanModus before kickoff and lock their smartphones once the match begins.
Fans accumulate one credit — one entry into a prize draw — for every minute their device remains unused. A maximum of 90 minutes can be banked during a Bundesliga fixture, with halftime and stoppage time excluded. Prizes on offer include signed Borussia Dortmund jerseys and vouchers for the club’s official merchandise shop.
Supporters may use their phones normally during the interval, provided they reactivate the feature before the second half. Switching to another application or actively using the smartphone interrupts the accumulation of phone-free minutes. Participation is entirely voluntary, available on compatible iOS and Android devices, though fans must permit the app to verify their location inside Signal Iduna Park. A BVB account is not required to run the timer, but those wishing to enter the prize draw must log in. The competition is open to supporters aged 16 and older.
The club cites a 2023 Vodafone survey of 1,000 regular stadium attendees, which found that 63 percent regularly used their smartphones during football matches. Dortmund also points to growing frustration among supporters over selfies, streaming, and social-media activity in the stands.
‘This here and now is irreplaceable’
Borussia Dortmund managing director Carsten Cramer emphasised the importance of protecting the collective experience of attending a football match.
“With Vodafone, we have a partner who not only understands what technology is capable of, but also when it should take a back seat. Over 81,000 people in the stadium, singing, cheering, and holding their breath together: this here and now is irreplaceable.”
Vodafone Germany CEO Marcel de Groot struck a similar note, arguing that spectators should focus on the emotions of football rather than their screens.
“Anyone at a football game should experience the moment and the emotions—not just a cell phone screen. Let’s leave our smartphones in our pockets more often at the stadium and instead focus on what’s happening on the field and in the stands.”
A different answer to German football’s vlogging row
The initiative adds a fresh dimension to German football’s ongoing debate over the relationship between supporters, social media, and the increasingly widespread habit of recording stadium experiences. The subject has already generated controversy elsewhere in the domestic game.
In September, Get German Football News examined the growing conflict between organised supporter groups and stadium vloggers, particularly at Karlsruher SC and Dynamo Dresden. Supporters in Karlsruhe have publicly condemned influencers who use the atmosphere created by organised fan scenes for commercial purposes, while Dresden has introduced restrictions on commercial stadium vlogging, distinguishing such activity from ordinary private photography. A subsequent editorial explored wider questions of media responsibility, privacy, and the commercialisation of supporter culture, and the national supporters’ alliance Unsere Kurve has also voiced opposition to the commercial exploitation of fan culture through stadium vlogging.
Dortmund’s approach is distinct. Rather than attempting to regulate commercial content creation, the club is nudging ordinary spectators to watch more of the match without the distraction of their phones. Where some supporter groups have advocated restrictions on filming inside stadiums, BVB and Vodafone have instead opted for a voluntary incentive system that rewards reduced smartphone use without prohibiting photography or social-media activity.
Dortmund will begin testing the concept in front of their own supporters when Eintracht Frankfurt visit Signal Iduna Park on Saturday evening.