Borussia Dortmund have never struggled to fill their stadium. Now they want their supporters to spend less time looking at their phones and more time watching the football. Fewer photographs, fewer videos, fewer updates from the stands. The club’s management and marketing department have come up with a way to turn putting the phone away into a competition. Called FanModus, the new feature in the official BVB app rewards supporters for staying off their screens during a match.
Once activated, the feature tracks how long the phone remains locked, awarding points for every minute it goes unused. Supporters can use their phones at half-time, but must switch FanModus back on for the second half. The count runs until the final whistle. The longer they resist the urge to check their screens, the higher their score. The best performers can win signed Dortmund shirts and vouchers for the club shop.
The club says the idea grew out of a finding that almost two-thirds of supporters in the stands regularly use their phones during matches. Selfies, videos and posts shared in real time have become part of the matchday routine, though not everyone is happy about it. The line between watching a game and documenting it has become increasingly blurred. Dortmund wants to change that without banning phones outright. Instead, it is offering a little competition, with prizes for those who manage to keep their screens out of sight.
“More and more fans are frustrated by selfies, streaming and social media in the stands,” the club said in a statement. FanModus is due to make its debut at Saturday 24 October’s Bundesliga match against Eintracht Frankfurt. Supporters can take part individually, tracking their own scores while helping bring the focus back to the pitch. The club’s message is direct: “Leave your smartphone in your pocket at the stadium and enjoy the match with all your senses.”
A run off the ball, the tension before a corner, the roar when a goal goes in. These are the details of a match that no phone can quite capture. They happen once, and then they are gone. Dortmund wants its supporters to keep their phones in their pockets and their eyes on the pitch.