Overview
The ESPN API provides access to live scores, schedules, and team information across multiple sports leagues including basketball, football, hockey, soccer, and MMA.Basketball
NBA, WNBA, College Basketball
Football & Hockey
NFL, NHL, UFC
Soccer
EPL, La Liga, Champions League, MLS
Basketball
NBA Scoreboard
Get current NBA game scores and schedules. Endpoint:GET /api/espn/basketball/nba/scoreboard
cURL
JavaScript
NBA Teams
Get a list of all NBA teams. Endpoint:GET /api/espn/basketball/nba/teams
cURL
WNBA Scoreboard
Get current WNBA game scores and schedules. Endpoint:GET /api/espn/basketball/wnba/scoreboard
College Basketball
Women’s College Basketball Scoreboard:GET /api/espn/basketball/womens-college-basketball/scoreboard
Men’s College Basketball Teams:GET /api/espn/basketball/mens-college-basketball/teams
Football & Hockey
NFL Scoreboard
Get current NFL game scores and schedules. Endpoint:GET /api/espn/football/nfl/scoreboard
cURL
Python
NHL Scoreboard
Get current NHL game scores and schedules. Endpoint:GET /api/espn/hockey/nhl/scoreboard
cURL
UFC Events
Get current and upcoming UFC events and results. Endpoint:GET /api/espn/mma/ufc/scoreboard
cURL
Soccer
All Leagues
Get scores from all available soccer leagues or a specific league. Endpoint:GET /api/espn/soccer
Query Parameters:
League identifier. Use
all for all leagues or specific league codes.Available Leagues
| League | Code | Endpoint |
|---|---|---|
| All Leagues | all | /api/espn/soccer?league=all |
| English Premier League | epl | /api/espn/soccer?league=epl |
| La Liga (Spain) | laliga | /api/espn/soccer?league=laliga |
| Bundesliga (Germany) | bundesliga | /api/espn/soccer?league=bundesliga |
| Serie A (Italy) | seriea | /api/espn/soccer?league=seriea |
| Ligue 1 (France) | ligue1 | /api/espn/soccer?league=ligue1 |
| UEFA Champions League | ucl | /api/espn/soccer?league=ucl |
| UEFA Europa League | europa | /api/espn/soccer?league=europa |
| Major League Soccer | mls | /api/espn/soccer?league=mls |
Example Usage
cURL
JavaScript
Python
Common Response Fields
Game Status Values
| Status | Description |
|---|---|
Pre-Game | Game hasn’t started yet |
Live / In Progress | Game is currently being played |
Halftime / Intermission | Break between periods |
Final | Game has ended |
Postponed | Game has been postponed |
Canceled | Game has been canceled |
Team Information
All responses include team information with:name: Full team nameabbreviation: Team abbreviation/codescore: Current score (null for pre-game)logo: URL to team logo imagerecord: Win-loss record (where applicable)
Rate Limiting & Best Practices
Recommended Polling Intervals
| Game Status | Recommended Interval |
|---|---|
| Pre-Game | Every 5-10 minutes |
| Live/In Progress | Every 30-60 seconds |
| Halftime/Intermission | Every 2-3 minutes |
| Final | No polling needed (cache) |
Use Cases
Sports Scoreboards
Sports Scoreboards
Build comprehensive sports scoreboards displaying live scores from multiple leagues and sports.
Fantasy Sports Apps
Fantasy Sports Apps
Track player performance and game scores for fantasy sports platforms.
Sports Betting
Sports Betting
Provide real-time odds and score updates for sports betting applications.
Discord/Telegram Bots
Discord/Telegram Bots
Create bots that send score updates and game notifications to sports communities.
Sports News Websites
Sports News Websites
Integrate live scores and schedules into sports news and media websites.
Mobile Apps
Mobile Apps
Build mobile sports apps with real-time score updates and push notifications.
Match schedules vary by league and season. Some endpoints may return empty arrays when no games are scheduled for that day.