Sports have long ceased to be just a spectacle for fans. Behind every game lies a vast array of information: from current results and tournament tables to detailed player statistics, team compositions, match histories, and even the dynamics of changing odds from bookmakers. This data is valuable not only for fans who want to stay informed but also for developers creating applications and websites, for analysts making predictions, for sports media filling their resources with content, and for betting platforms where the accuracy and speed of data updates directly affect profits.
Processing such a flow of information manually is practically impossible. That is why sports APIs come to the rescue — software interfaces that allow data to be obtained automatically, in a structured and convenient format for work. With their help, live results, odds, or statistics can be quickly integrated into an application, website, or analytical system.
In this article, we will take a detailed look at two solutions — BETCITY API and API-deporte. We will compare their functionality, ease of use, speed of operation, and coverage of sports, as well as figure out why API-sport is currently a more universal and practical tool for projects of any scale.
¿Qué es una API deportiva y las características de API-sport?
API (Application Programming Interface) is an interface that allows systems to exchange data. For sports, this means access to live results, odds, statistics, and archives.
API-deporte — one of the market leaders. The service appeared in 2017 and quickly became popular due to its wide coverage of disciplines and ease of integration. Here you can find:
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results and live events;
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player and team statistics;
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match archives;
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data on leagues and tournaments.
Unlike many competitors, including BETCITY API, the API-sport platform offers dozens of sports, ready-made SDKs for different languages, and convenient documentation.
BETCITY API
BETCITY API is focused on betting:
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odds and lines;
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match results;
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player lineups and injuries;
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transfers and statistics.
Deportes soportados
Here, football, hockey, basketball, tennis, and partially esports are presented. However, the coverage is noticeably narrower than that of API-sport, which includes dozens of disciplines from football to darts and Formula 1.
Tecnologías y formatos
Standard REST and WebSocket formats are supported, and data is returned in JSON or XML. These are convenient technologies, but the speed of updates and flexibility still lag behind API-sport.
¿Cómo acceder a la API?
To start working with BETCITY API, the user must register on the company’s official website. After that, a personal API key is provided, which is used for request authorization. Without it, the system will not grant access to the data. Next, you need to choose a tariff — from the basic one, designed for a limited number of requests, to the extended one with broader functionality. At first glance, the connection scheme is standard, but in practice, there is a nuance: the API documentation from BETCITY is not always detailed and requires additional clarifications. This creates certain difficulties for novice developers and those who are working with such tools for the first time.
RapidAPI, SportRadar y otras plataformas proporcionan acceso a BetsAPI y Livescore API a través de sus canales. Esto es conveniente para los desarrolladores que necesitan integraciones listas y SLA confiables.
Sometimes data from BETCITY can be obtained not directly, but through third-party aggregator services, such as RapidAPI or SportRadar. This is convenient if the developer uses several data sources in one project and wants to combine them into a single system. However, in this case, there is an important limitation: the functionality is usually cut down. For example, only basic odds and results are available, while deeper statistics or live updates may be absent. Therefore, for serious projects, third-party channels are more suitable as a supplementary source rather than a primary solution.
Los planes gratuitos generalmente incluyen acceso limitado a datos históricos y estadísticas básicas. Las suscripciones de pago desbloquean:
Like most sports APIs, free access to BETCITY is limited. Most often, these are trial limits: several hundred requests or access to data only for a certain period of time. This option is suitable for testing integration or getting acquainted with the service. However, to use all the capabilities of the API — including live data, real-time odds, and complete statistics — a paid subscription will need to be connected. Unlike API-deporte, where even the free plan provides a decent set of features, in the case of BETCITY API, the user has to switch to paid packages quite quickly.
Número de solicitudes por minuto/hora
One of the main factors when choosing a sports API is the request limits. BETCITY API has quite strict limits: the number of requests per minute or per day is restricted, and the data update speed does not always meet the requirements of live projects. For applications or websites where high speed is important (for example, odds scanners or prediction services), this can be a serious drawback.
In contrast to this, API-deporte offers more flexible conditions. The user can choose a plan with the required number of requests and flexibly scale the project depending on the load. Because of this, API-sport becomes a more attractive option for those who plan serious product development and do not want to run into technical limitations.
Integración de API
Ejemplos de conexión (Python, JavaScript)
API-deporte provides ready-made code examples:
importar solicitudes
url = «https://api-sport.pro/football/matches»
headers = {«x-api-key»: «YOUR_KEY»}
respuesta = solicitudes.get(url, encabezados=encabezados)
imprimir(respuesta.json())
This makes the start of integration as simple as possible even for beginners.
Integración en CMS y aplicaciones móviles
API-sport easily integrates into WordPress sites, mobile applications for Android/iOS, and custom CRMs.
Uso de datos en vivo a través de WebSocket
WebSocket provides instant updates of odds and events. This is more efficient than constant requests (polling) and is especially important for live betting.
¿Dónde se utiliza?
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Betting and odds scanners — for analyzing lines from different bookmakers.
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Sports analytics – for predictions and models.
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Media and fan applications – for content filling.
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Fantasy Sports and esports – for generating statistics.
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Big Data and BI systems – for building dashboards and visualizations.
Ventajas y desventajas
API-deporte stands out from competitors due to its versatility and technical flexibility.
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Wide coverage of disciplines.
The service supports dozens of sports – from popular ones like football, hockey, basketball, and tennis to less common ones, including baseball, darts, volleyball, rugby, cricket, and even Formula 1. This coverage allows the use of API-sport not only for classic betting projects but also for specialized applications aimed at fans of specific sports. -
High update speed.
One of the key advantages of the platform is the instant data update. Live events and odds appear almost in real-time, which is especially important for bookmakers, analytical services, and applications with «live» betting. This allows users to receive up-to-date information without delays, which directly affects the convenience of work and the quality of predictions. -
Simple integration and SDK.
For developers, ready-made code examples and libraries (SDK) are provided in popular programming languages such as Python, PHP, and JavaScript. This allows for the integration of the API into the project without deep technical knowledge and saves time on development. In addition, detailed documentation simplifies the setup process and helps quickly adapt the API to specific tasks. -
Cost of professional tariffs.
The free plan of API-sport offers decent opportunities for testing and small projects. However, as needs grow and the number of requests increases, developers and companies have to switch to professional packages. They provide extended access to data, increased limits, and premium features, but their cost may seem high for small projects. Nevertheless, for large platforms and analytical services, these are justified investments, as the quality and stability of work remain high.
BETCITY API — this is a tool created primarily to serve the needs of the bookmaker company itself and its clients. It provides access to the essential data needed for betting, but in several parameters, it falls short of universal solutions like API-deporte.
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Direct access to odds.
The main advantage of the BETCITY API is that it opens access to the bookmaker’s odds and lines without intermediaries. This makes it a useful tool for those who work exclusively with the BETCITY market or create integrations tied to this specific company. For projects where the bet with this bookmaker is important, such an API can be quite convenient. -
Limited sports.
Unlike API-sport, which features dozens of disciplines, the BETCITY API covers only the main areas: football, hockey, tennis, basketball, and partially esports. For media, analytical services, or applications that want to work with a broader range of sporting events, this is insufficient. -
Slower updates.
The data update speed of the BETCITY API lags behind specialized sports services. For live betting and analytics, where every second counts, a delay of even a few minutes can be critical. In this regard, API-sport wins due to almost instantaneous information transfer. -
No such flexible support and documentation.
The documentation for the BETCITY API is quite basic and often lacks detailed examples, making it challenging for novice developers. There are also no SDKs and ready-made solutions for popular programming languages. Support is provided in a limited format, making integration more labor-intensive compared to API-sport, where everything is aimed at user convenience.
En resumen
The BETCITY API is useful for those who work exclusively with the lines and odds of one bookmaker. However, for universal projects, analytics, media, and integrations into third-party applications, the choice is obvious — API-sport. With it, you can quickly connect dozens of sports, receive live updates, and build services of any scale.
👉 You can try it right now:
Registration: https://app.api-sport.ru/register
Our TG channel with updates: https://t.me/apisportru.
Preguntas frecuentes
¿Hay acceso gratuito?
Yes, API-sport offers a trial plan. BETSITI API has limited free access capabilities.
¿Qué deportes son compatibles?
API-sport — dozens of disciplines. BETCITY API — mainly football, hockey, basketball, and tennis.
¿Es la API adecuada para apuestas?
Yes, both options can be used. But API-sport provides more flexibility for analytics and integration.
¿Cómo conectar la API a la aplicación?
Through the access key and ready-made code examples (Python, JS, PHP).
¿Se puede usar la API para predicciones?
Yes, API-sport is perfect for analyzing statistics and building forecasting models.
How is API-sport better than BETCITY API?
With a wide range of sports, update speed, and convenient tools for developers.
