Marathon API

The modern world of sports is millions of data every second: goals, assists, fouls, betting odds, and bookmaker line movements. Without automated solutions, developers, analysts, and betting platforms would simply drown in the flow of information. This is where sports APIs come to the rescue — ready-made interfaces for integrating statistics and live data into websites, applications, and prediction services.

API-sport In recent years, it has become one of the most in-demand platforms: it is used by bookmakers, sports media, analytical companies, and even fan portals. Why? Because this service solves the problem of speed and reliability of data acquisition, which is critically important for betting and analytics.

What is API-sport: a universal source of sports data

API (Application Programming Interface) is an intermediary between data and the developer. In sports, it provides access to results, odds, schedules, and even match archives.

API-sport — it is one of the largest platforms covering hundreds of leagues and dozens of sports. The service is actively developing, has gained popularity in Europe and the CIS, and today is considered one of the market leaders.

Features of API-sport:

  • Real-time data: results, odds, live statistics.

  • Support for over 30 sports, including esports.

  • Match archives, advanced player and team analytics.

  • Convenient REST and WebSocket formats.

Compared to others, including Marathon API, API-sport stands out for its breadth of coverage and ease of integration.

Marathon API: what’s inside the platform

Marathon API is primarily designed for the needs of bookmakers:

  • match results and live events;

  • odds and their changing dynamics;

  • lineups and player statistics;

  • transfer activity.

Sports

Classic sports are supported: football, hockey, basketball, tennis, as well as partially esports. However, compared to API-sport, the list of disciplines is limited.

Technologies and formats

Marathon API works through REST and WebSocket, supporting JSON and XML. In this regard, the solution is universal, but it lags behind API-sport in terms of documentation simplicity and ready-made SDKs for popular languages.

How to access Marathon API?

To connect to the Marathon API, you need to register, request a personal key, and choose a tariff. However, there is a nuance: the documentation for Marathon is primarily written for the internal tasks of the company and its partners. This means that it can be difficult for an external developer to understand.

API-sport, On the contrary, it pays great attention to convenience:

  • Detailed and visual documentation with code examples in different languages.

  • Ready-made SDKs for Python, JavaScript, PHP, and mobile applications.

  • Constant updates and an open knowledge base.

For beginners, this lowers the entry threshold, and for experienced developers, it saves hours and days of integration.

10. RapidAPI, SportRadar, and other platforms provide access to BetsAPI and Livescore API through their channels. This is convenient for developers who need ready-made integrations and reliable SLAs.

The Marathon API can be found on aggregators like RapidAPI, but part of the data there is cut down, and the price is higher.

With API-sport, everything is simpler:

  • Official website with direct access.

  • Integration through RapidAPI is also possible, but there is no need — all functionality is available directly.

  • Support through Telegram channel and technical support, which speeds up problem resolution.

12. Free plans usually include limited access to historical data and basic statistics. Paid subscriptions unlock:

The Marathon API has almost no free access — to fully test the service, you need to pay.

API-sport offers a flexible tariff grid:

  • A free demo tariff for testing — to try out the capabilities without investment.

  • Flexible paid plans — from small packages for startups to corporate tariffs for large betting platforms.

  • The ability to scale the tariff — no need to overpay for unnecessary data volume.

For developers, this is a decisive plus: you can start for free and switch to paid packages as the project grows.

17. Number of requests per minute/hour

Marathon API limits the number of requests and update frequency. If the load increases, expensive plans have to be purchased.

API-sport works differently:

  • Flexible limits – you can choose a plan for specific needs.

  • High speed of live data updates (up to a second).

  • The ability to scale the project without sharp price jumps.

This makes API-sport more convenient for projects that expect audience growth and increased load.

When it comes to access to sports data, API-sport shows that the process can be simple and convenient. Registration takes just a few minutes, after which the developer receives a key and can immediately test the service on a free demo plan. This means that trying the API can be done without risk and investment.

In addition, the service provides detailed documentation and ready-made SDKs, which significantly speeds up integration. The limits here are flexible, and the plans are transparent – you pay exactly for the volume you actually use. Constant support and regular updates complement the picture, making working with the API as comfortable as possible.

Against this background, Marathon API appears to be a much more closed solution: access is limited, the documentation is not as friendly, and there is clearly a lack of flexibility in the plans. Therefore, for third-party developers, the choice in favor of API-sport becomes obvious.

API integration into projects

Connection examples

In Python or JavaScript, everything looks similar:

  • An HTTP request is sent with the key.

  • A JSON response comes back.

API-sport is simpler in this regard due to extensive documentation and ready-made code examples.

CMS and mobile applications

Marathon API can be integrated into websites and applications, but the documentation is less friendly. Meanwhile, API-sport easily integrates into WordPress and mobile SDKs for Android/iOS.

Live via WebSocket

Marathon API supports WebSocket, but API-sport does it faster and more reliably. For live betting, this is a decisive factor.

Where is the sports API used?

  • Betting and odds scanners.

  • Forecasts and analytics.

  • Media and sports portals.

  • Fantasy Sports and esports.

  • Big Data and BI projects.

API-sport here it wins again — it is used even beyond betting, while the Marathon API remains a niche tool.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages of the Marathon API:

  • Support for live results.

  • Access to odds and lineups.

Cons:

  • Limited list of sports.

  • No full free access.

  • Complexity of integration for third-party developers.

Advantages of API-sport:

  • Huge coverage of leagues and sports.

  • Simple integration and clear documentation.

  • Fast operation with live data.

  • Flexible pricing, including a free option.

Alternatives and comparison

Besides Marathon API and API-sport, there are competitors:

  • SportRadar — deeper in statistics, but significantly more expensive.

  • TheSportsDB – more suitable for amateur projects.

  • RapidAPI — a marketplace for connecting different APIs.

But in terms of price, speed, and coverage, the leader for developers remains API-sport.


In summary

If the task is quick access to live data, odds, and statistics, the Marathon API will do. But if it’s about large-scale projects with dozens of sports, convenient integration, and flexible pricing, the clear choice will be API-sport.

🔗 Registration: https://app.api-sport.ru/register
📢 Our TG channel with updates: https://t.me/apisportru

FAQ

Is there free access to API-sport?
Yes, there is a trial rate for developers. The Marathon API has almost no free option.

What sports are supported?
API-sport covers more than 30 sports, including esports. The Marathon API — only the main disciplines.

Is the API suitable for betting?
Yes, both services are suitable, but API-sport updates odds faster, which is important for live betting.

How to connect the API to the application?
API-sport provides ready-made examples for Python, JS, and SDK for mobile. In the Marathon API, the documentation is more complex.

Can the API be used for predictions?
Of course. API-sport is especially convenient for player and team analytics.

Is there support for archived data?
API-sport provides complete archives of matches and statistics. Marathon API has limited archived data.

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