Dortmund rewards phone‑free fans with points and prizes via Fan Mode

While many spectators keep their smartphones active during a Borussia Dortmund home game, the club has added a ‘Fan Mode’ to its official app that rewards fans who lock their devices. Points accrue by the minute while locked, and the top earners enter a draw for signed jerseys or gift‑cards.

Fan Mode activation is optional; it works like airplane mode, collecting points each minute until half‑time, after which fans may use phones before re‑enabling it for the second half. The programme begins at the home match against Frankfurt on the 24th, offering prizes such as signed shirts and fan‑shop gift cards, and requires location permission to verify stadium presence.

Borussia Dortmund rolls out Fan Mode to ban phones during matches

A 2023 Vodafone survey of 1,000 attendees showed 63 percent frequently used phones during games. Club CEO Carsten Krammer said over 81,000 fans sing together, a moment that cannot be replaced, while Vodafone Germany chief Marcel de Groot urged fans to keep phones in pockets to experience the emotions on the pitch.