# SportsDataverse

> Community project shipping free R, Python and Node.js packages (cfbfastR, hoopR, wehoop, fastRhockey) plus an open data warehouse with play-by-play, box scores, betting lines and win-probability models.

Canonical page: https://sportdex.net/providers/sportsdataverse/  
Last checked: 2026-11-03  
SportDex Score: 50/100 (rank 53; popularity 32, community n/a, transparency 65, developer experience 65)

## Facts
- Type: Free / open data
- Website: https://sportsdataverse.org
- Documentation: https://www.sportsdataverse.org/packages
- Pricing page: unknown
- Country: United States
- Sports: American football, College sports, Basketball, Ice hockey
- Data types: Historical data, Odds, Play-by-play, Player stats, Predictions, Team stats
- Protocols: SDK only, CSV download
- Delivery: SDK only, CSV download
- Live / in-play: not disclosed
- Free tier: yes
- Cheapest public paid plan: not public
- Authentication: none
- SDKs: R, Python, Node.js

## Plans
| Plan | Price | Requests | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open source | Free | — | Free packages and warehouse |

## Who it is for

Best for: Researchers and analysts who work in R, Python or Node.js and want free play-by-play and box-score data for US football, basketball and hockey.

Not ideal for: Teams wanting a hosted REST API with an SLA or live feeds; it is a set of open-source packages and a data warehouse.

Use cases: Analytics notebooks; Win-probability models; College sports research

Limitations:
- Covers 10 leagues in the warehouse
- Distributed as packages and files, not a hosted REST service
- No terms or licence page was saved

## Quick answers

**What is SportsDataverse best for?** Researchers and analysts who work in R, Python or Node.js and want free play-by-play and box-score data for US football, basketball and hockey. Not ideal for: Teams wanting a hosted REST API with an SLA or live feeds; it is a set of open-source packages and a data warehouse.

**How much does SportsDataverse cost?** SportsDataverse does not publish prices on the pages we checked.

**Does SportsDataverse have a free tier?** Yes. SportsDataverse lists a free plan called "Open source".

**What does SportsDataverse cover?** SportsDataverse is a free / open data. Its sports: American football, College sports, Basketball, Ice hockey; data: Historical data, Odds, Play-by-play, Player stats, Predictions, Team stats.

**Does SportsDataverse have a WebSocket or streaming API?** No streaming is listed. SportsDataverse delivers data by SDK only, CSV download, so you poll for updates.

**What do developers say about SportsDataverse?** Free community R and Python packages (hoopR, cfbfastR, wehoop and others) for play-by-play and box score data. Evidence is mostly usage: an NBA streak visualization built with hoopR, baseball and play-by-play repos, sports-analytics meetup talks and YouTube analyses crediting it. No complaints or detailed opinions surfaced.

**What are the alternatives to SportsDataverse?** Close alternatives in the SportDex catalog: CollegeFootballData.com, BALLDONTLIE, API-Sports / API-Football, Highlightly, DunkAPI.

## What developers say

Free community R and Python packages (hoopR, cfbfastR, wehoop and others) for play-by-play and box score data. Evidence is mostly usage: an NBA streak visualization built with hoopR, baseball and play-by-play repos, sports-analytics meetup talks and YouTube analyses crediting it. No complaints or detailed opinions surfaced.

Praised for: Free open-source packages; Used by analysts and YouTube creators

## Method
Facts were read from the provider's own pages on 2026-11-03. Empty fields mean the provider does not say, not that a feature is missing. Method: https://sportdex.net/methodology/