00:00Borussia Dortmund are trialling what may be the weirdest but best bit of technology in football.
00:05It's called Fan Mode on the Beval B app. The purpose? Rewarding fans for not going on their
00:11phone during a football game. Once the user activates Fan Mode, the app rewards you for
00:16every single minute you don't touch your phone. The longer you go without using it,
00:20the more points you get and points can be redeemed for prizes at the club store.
00:24It's a brilliant initiative. Dortmund are famous for having one of the best atmospheres in Europe,
00:29but phone usage at football stadiums is at an all-time high. They negatively impact attention
00:34span, focus on the game and ultimately the fan experience. Those fans who are on their phone
00:39for the whole match are not as immersed in the experience. They are taking the spot of a fan
00:43who might be engrossed in the action and the more fans who are glued to a screen around you,
00:47the less the rest of the stadium enjoys the fixture. Even as a content creator, I am generally
00:52anti-phoned at the football. Sitting or standing in a stadium with friends and family is a special
00:57experience. So well done BValB for protecting that. Hopefully more teams will follow.
