Borussia Dortmund has announced that it will reward fans who do not use their phones while watching the team’s matches from the stands. The goal of the German top-flight soccer club is to cut down on streaming, as well as on the number of photos and videos.
A growing number of fans have voiced dissatisfaction that others block their view with phones while recording videos or taking selfies. BVB has decided to encourage those coming to the stadium to limit their phone use.
The club has created a special app that measures how often a user unlocks the phone screen during a match, excluding the break between the first and second halves. Installing it is not mandatory, and there are no penalties for using a smartphone too often. But those who opt in and last 90 minutes without looking at the screen have a chance to win prizes: club merchandise or gift vouchers.
“More than 81,000 people singing together, shouting, holding their breath – that is something irreplaceable,” BVB Managing Director Carsten Cramer said, as quoted in a statement.
The app will be active for the first time on Saturday, when Borussia Dortmund hosts Eintracht Frankfurt.
After six rounds of the Bundesliga, Germany’s top soccer league, Dortmund has 14 points, the same as leader Bayern Munich, which is ahead on goal difference. (PAP)
