BALLDONTLIE

BALLDONTLIE is a sports data API whose homepage covers basketball (NBA, WNBA, NCAAB, EuroLeague), American sports such as the NFL, MLB, NHL and MMA, soccer leagues including the EPL, La Liga and Champions League, tennis, Formula 1 and esports titles like CS2 and Valorant. The data on offer runs from scores and player statistics to live box scores, play-by-play, betting odds, player props and historical records.

Pricing is built around leagues: a free tier, two per-league tiers and one plan that spans every league. The footer names BALLDONTLIE LLC, and the pages we read do not state which country the company is in. Two further products, BDL Lab and StoryStats, are named on the homepage without further detail.

• Per-league subscription model. Each paid tier is sold for one league, so a team building only an NBA product pays for that league alone. Adding a second league means a second subscription, unless the all-leagues plan is chosen.
• Wide league and sport list. The homepage names basketball, US sports, soccer, tennis, Formula 1 and several esports titles. The list is broad, but each league has its own endpoints and, in some cases such as EuroLeague, its own subscription.
• Play-by-play and box scores. Live box scores and play-by-play sit next to season averages, standings, lineups and injuries in the NBA endpoint groups. That suits products that need event-level detail rather than only final results.
• Betting odds and player props. Odds and player props are listed as data types on the homepage and as NBA endpoint groups in the documentation. The pages we read do not say which bookmakers supply the odds.
• Webhooks on paid tiers. The homepage states that paid tiers add webhooks, which lets an application receive pushed updates instead of polling. The free tier is limited to 5 requests per minute, so polling there is tight.
• Cursor-based pagination. List responses carry a meta object with next_cursor and per_page rather than page numbers. Developers walk through large result sets by passing the cursor back, which is stable when new rows arrive.
• AI and spreadsheet access. The documentation describes an OpenAPI specification meant for use with AI assistants and a Google Sheets integration built on Apps Script. No official SDK is named, so code examples in cURL, JavaScript and Python are the starting point.

• A solo developer building an NBA stats site. The free tier at 5 requests per minute is enough to prototype teams and players pages. A move to the 60 requests per minute league tier follows once real traffic arrives and the project needs live box scores.
• A fantasy or props analysis startup. Player props, betting odds, tracking statistics and shot charts are listed for the NBA. A team working across several leagues would compare the single-league tiers with the all-access plan before committing.
• A data analyst working in spreadsheets. The Google Sheets integration on Apps Script lets an analyst pull statistics without writing a backend. Rate limits still apply, so large pulls on the free tier would need spreading over time.

Registration happens through the dashboard, which issues the API key. The documentation requires that key in an Authorization header on every request, against the base URL https://api.balldontlie.io, and responses come back as JSON with a data key. Code examples are shown in cURL, JavaScript and Python.

Requests for a non-JSON format return a 406 error, and exceeding the plan limit returns 429, so a first script should handle both. List endpoints paginate by cursor, using next_cursor from the meta object. The homepage says paid plans come with a 7-day trial started from the dashboard. The pages we read do not describe an onboarding call or a sandbox environment.

BALLDONTLIE prices by league. A free plan allows 5 requests per minute; per-league tiers raise that to 60 and 600, and one all-access plan spans 20+ leagues.

Data runs from box scores and play-by-play to odds and player props, with webhooks on paid tiers. The catch is stacking: each league is billed on its own, and EuroLeague needs a separate subscription. No currency or country is stated.

In our sports data apis ranking BALLDONTLIE stands at #3 of 13: it follows The Odds API and comes before Sportmonks. The first three places are reserved for challengers where a category has them, which is why we publish no numeric score.

The vendor states no country of establishment, so BALLDONTLIE is left out of the regional count for this list.

Pricing as recorded: Published monthly tiers per league or across all leagues; trial on paid plans; annual option.

The homepage lists four plans. Free costs $0 per month with 5 requests per minute and basic data. All-Star is $9.99 per month per league at 60 requests per minute. GOAT is $39.99 per month per league at 600 requests per minute. All-Access is $299.99 per month for all leagues, with 600 requests per minute across more than 20 leagues. The page does not name the currency. An annual billing option is mentioned with a 20% saving, but annual prices are not listed. Paid plans carry a 7-day trial. Because per-league tiers are billed separately, a product using four leagues on GOAT would pay more than the all-access plan, so the break-even point deserves a calculation. The documentation also says EuroLeague and Liga ACB need their own subscriptions.

Checked against balldontlie.io for Best Sports Data APIs in 2026, review date 13 November 2026.

The documentation requires an API key in an Authorization header and returns JSON with a data key.

Lists are paged by cursor rather than page number, and the error list includes 429 for rate limiting.

NBA groups cover box scores, injuries, lineups, shot charts and contract aggregates.

Examples are given in cURL, JavaScript and Python, with an OpenAPI specification and a Google Sheets integration, but no official SDK is named.

The pages we read describe authentication by API key in an Authorization header and nothing more on security. No certifications, data residency statement, encryption detail or audit report appeared on the homepage or in the documentation. Company details are limited to the footer name BALLDONTLIE LLC, and the country is not stated.

Buyers with procurement requirements would need to ask the vendor for a privacy policy, terms and any security documentation, because we did not read such material. Keys are the only access control described, so teams should keep them out of client-side code.

Integrations the vendor names (9):

• cURL
• JavaScript
• Python
• Google Sheets (Apps Script)
• OpenAPI specification
• AI assistants via OpenAPI
• Webhooks
• BDL Lab
• StoryStats

Also in our records:

• The documentation requires an API key in an Authorization header and returns JSON with a data key.
• Examples are given in cURL, JavaScript and Python, with an OpenAPI specification and a Google Sheets integration, but no official SDK is named.
• Catalogue tags that point to the ecosystem: Webhooks on paid.

These are the nearest neighbours of BALLDONTLIE in the same list, picked on shared traits and price model.

• The Odds API (#2 of 13): Credit-metered betting odds API run from Australia, starting at no charge. Best for: Odds comparison and tipster sites that need bookmaker prices across several regions.
• Highlightly (#5 of 13): Aimed at: Media and app builders who want highlight clips next to live scores.
• Goalserve (#9 of 13): Not for: teams that need a published price or a named operator. Live scores and odds feeds in XML and JSON, sold by quote.

Read from the vendor’s own pages on 12 November 2026.

• balldontlie.io: Plans, prices, trial, annual option, league coverage, data types, webhooks, company name
• balldontlie.io: BDL Lab and StoryStats mentioned; country not stated
• docs.balldontlie.io: Authentication, base URL, pagination, error codes
• docs.balldontlie.io: NBA endpoint groups, EuroLeague subscription, code examples, OpenAPI and Google Sheets integration

Four tests decide a position: how soon the product is useful, what the bill really becomes, how data leaves and who it suits. Here that gives BALLDONTLIE the #3 position in a list of 13. The editorial process sets out how facts are gathered and how commercial links are handled.