Getting Started with SportsStack

SportsStack is a unified sports data API that normalizes data from 25+ providers — Sportradar, Genius Sports, Optic Odds, SportsData.io, and more — into one consistent schema. Write one integration, and it works with every source.

Your first API call

Grab your API key from Dashboard → Settings → API Keys, then make your first request:

curl "https://api.sportsstack.io/api/v1/teams?league_id=nfl" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

import requests

resp = requests.get(
    "https://api.sportsstack.io/api/v1/teams",
    params={"league_id": "nfl"},
    headers={"Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"}
)
teams = resp.json()["data"]
print(f"{len(teams)} NFL teams")

const resp = await fetch(
  "https://api.sportsstack.io/api/v1/teams?league_id=nfl",
  { headers: { Authorization: "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" } }
);
const { data: teams } = await resp.json();
console.log(`${teams.length} NFL teams`);

You'll get back a list of NFL teams, each with a common_model_id — a universal identifier that stays the same regardless of which data provider sourced it.

Key concepts

Unified Schema

Every provider formats data differently. Sportradar uses passingYds, SportsData.io uses passing_yds, FTN uses passing-yds. SportsStack normalizes all of these into a single consistent schema — passing_yards — so you never have to write provider-specific parsing logic.

Universal IDs

Every entity (player, team, event, market) gets a common_model_id — a stable UUID that maps across all providers. Patrick Mahomes has different IDs in Sportradar, FTN, and ESPN, but one common_model_id in SportsStack. Use the ID Explorer to translate between provider IDs and universal IDs.

Provider-agnostic

Switch providers or add new data sources without changing your code. Your integration talks to SportsStack, and SportsStack handles the rest — authentication, rate limits, format normalization, and ID resolution for each provider behind the scenes.

Core endpoints

All endpoints return JSON and require a Bearer token in the Authorization header. See the API Reference for full details.

Common query patterns

Filter by league

Most endpoints accept a league_id parameter to scope results:

# Get all NBA events
curl "https://api.sportsstack.io/api/v1/events?league_id=nba" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

Get live game stats

# Get stats for a specific event
curl "https://api.sportsstack.io/api/v1/events/{event_id}/event-stats" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

Get odds across sportsbooks

# Get latest odds for an event
curl "https://api.sportsstack.io/api/v1/odds/latest?event_id={event_id}" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

Real-time updates with webhooks

SportsStack can push data changes to your server in real time via webhooks. You'll receive notifications when entities change — scores update, odds move, injuries are reported, etc.

{
  "stream": "change_log",
  "resource_type": "event",
  "entity_id": "evt-abc-123",
  "event": {
    "common_model_id": "evt-abc-123",
    "changed_at": "2025-01-15T20:30:00Z"
  }
}

See the Webhooks Guide for setup instructions.

Supported sports

SportsStack covers major North American and international leagues:

• Football: NFL, NCAAF
• Basketball: NBA, NCAAB, WNBA
• Baseball: MLB
• Hockey: NHL
• Soccer: EPL, La Liga, Serie A, MLS, and more
• Golf: PGA Tour
• Tennis: ATP, WTA
• MMA: UFC

Coverage varies by provider and sport. See the Coverage Matrix for a full breakdown.

Next steps

• Quickstart — Step-by-step first integration
• Authentication — API keys and security best practices
• API Usage Guide — Deep dive into the data model
• Webhooks Guide — Set up real-time notifications
• Rate Limits — Usage limits and headers
• Stat Types Reference — 1,000+ normalized stat fields
• Market Types Reference — 835+ betting market types