‘Pajama Paparazzi’: High School Football Sidelines Clogged With Creators
Administrators call these amateur newcomers the “pajama paparazzi.”
The football game between Duncanville and DeSoto, two Texas high schools, routinely draws large crowds. In recent years, the sidelines have become overcrowded with private content creators. These creators are often hired by players or their families through casual agreements. Social media has made sports-content creation a viable side hustle, and the growth of NIL opportunities has fueled the demand for personalized photos and videos.
This influx of sideline photographers and videographers has become a balancing act for schools and state athletic associations, who must maintain safe and orderly environments while catering to the demand for more coverage. There is currently no universal playbook to address this issue. In Arizona, the problem has become so severe that they have coined the term "pajama paparazzi" to describe these unprofessional sideline seekers, who often wear casual attire and behave unprofessionally.
Nearly half of states leave media credentialing up to individual districts or schools, while the Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) requires background checks for anyone seeking high school sideline credentials.
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