Frequently Asked Questions

How is SODA different from your other sports feed products?

Our Delivered Feeds provide subscribers with a steady stream of updates. And they all come with flat monthly fees billable for a set number of months.

In contrast, with SODA, you prepurchase "Credits," and can use them on exactly the updates you want. No monthly minimums apply.

What's with the "Credits?"

Basing our system on "Credits" (instead of just, say, "Money") offers several advantages. It allows us to simplify our pricing plans and accounting systems, and also lets us give Credits where Credits are due. (Thanks again, Beta testers!)

Can Credits be transferred or refunded?

Once purchased, Credits cannot be transferred or refunded. They will not expire, however API Sportswire reserves the right to repurchase unused Credits from users (at their original average purchase price), should we decide to fundamentally alter how SODA operates.

What financial commitment do I have to make in order to join SODA?

Our only requirement is that you must pre-purchase $30 worth of Credits. This purchase takes place automatically during the SODA application process. No monthly minimums or lengthy contracts are involved.

Can I automate delivery of news and data? If so, how?

Absolutely. Give our Technical Details a read. Basically, you set up a recurring Query for the data that you're looking for, and we then return detailed "Listings" of the latest content that's available. Your software checks out these Listings, picks out the new documents (or just the ones that meet specific criteria), and then purchases and downloads them.

Listings are provided for free.

Can I automate delivery of photos?

Not at this time. If you want a hands-free photo solution, contact us.

So, Listings do not cost me any Credits. Does that mean I can freely publish the bits of content that come inside the Listings?

No. Our License Agreement does not allow you to republish the pieces of content present within the Listings, unless you also purchase the corresponding full documents. The metadata elements present within Listings are provided only so that you and/or your software can make intelligent purchasing decisions. Users found to be in breach of this and/or other terms of the License Agreement are subject to having their account cancelled, with no refunding of any remaining Credits.

Do you supply software that lets me automate the scheduling, retrieval, parsing, databasing, searching, and formatting of SODA content?

Not yet. We have got an innovative and industrial-strength FeedFetcher platform that does all those things and more, but right now it's only available to subscribers of our Delivered Feeds. We haven't yet adjusted that software for SODA users, but probably will.

Can I automate the purchasing of new Credits, when my account starts running low?

You bet. See our Pricing and Payments page for more details on this option.

Is everyone eligible to use SODA?

No, but most are. Larger sites such as Yahoo! and ESPN.com are excluded. (Call us! We've got solutions more appropriate for your ambitions and scale.) Usage is also limited to those who meet the approval criteria of our content providers. And while API Sportswire reserves the right to withold membership from any applicant, we do not discriminate against websites on the basis of site design, boring domain names, or hometeam preferences. More details can be found in our Licensing Agreement.

Is SODA good for me if I want to republish live, updating scores, tons of news, every single odds update you carry, etc.?

Probably not. API Sportswire offers other, non-pay-per-document pricing models that allow publishers with larger content needs to save money. Read about our Delivered Feeds, Unlimited Web Services, and Hosted Pages.

Alongside the content I purchase and display, do I have to publish attribution to API Sportswire for providing this great service?

Generally, yes, you are required to publish alongside the content a modest reference to API Sportswire, as well as to our content partners. And use of photos also require that the appropriate photo credit be displayed. It's part of how we keep the pricing for SODA so low. If such credit placement is not feasible or practical, contact us, and together we'll figure out a fair way to handle attribution.

For how long can I keep the content online?

As long as you want! Just keep our attribution prominent.

Can I reuse a photo I've downloaded in many different contexts?

Because of our agreement with our photographers, you cannot. If you've already downloaded a photo and used it on a page, and then a month or so later want to reuse the photo on a completely different page (for example, to illustrate a different article), you should re-download the photo.

Can I use a photo for commercial purposes?

No. All photos must be used for editorial purposes only. This means, you must integrate the photo alongside editorial content. For example: with a photo caption, alongside a news article, integrated with player stats. You may not, for example, use the photo in an advertisement, or in conjunction with the marketing copy of any goods or service.

What if I purchase a document that has incorrect data inside?

As with every sports data provider who places an emphasis on timeliness, occasionally a document does get published that contains an error. Generally, an additional document (with the same metadata and title as the first) that corrects the error will soon be made available.

API Sportswire does its best to track these corrections, and generally will not deduct any Credits from your account if you download a revision to a document you have already purchased. Should you believe that you have been charged for a document you should have been able to download at no charge, then you may apply for a Credit refund by posting such a request in our online support center.

Does this Credit-creditting policy apply to revisions of news articles?

Yes. Articles with editorially written content frequently get revised, in order to add new information and/or analysis. API Sportswire allows you to download at no extra charge revisions of articles (across a 24-hour time period).

How does API Sportswire keep my credit card information secure?

API Sportswire uses secure transaction processing via Paypal's advanced Payment Solutions , one of the most trusted e-commerce brands on the Web. All credit card numbers are stored only on Paypal's servers, and not within API Sportswire's data centers.

When will you get more (non-U.S. | college lacrosse | high school basketball | curling) coverage? Why no video clips?

We've tried to get off to a solid start with the content we've got. We're open to suggestions for growth paths for the future.

This platform is so great. When will you start syndicating (weather forecasts | movie listings | comic strips | recipes)?

Sports is our forté. We are, of course, open to software licensing proposals.

How'd you come up with this idea?

For that, we have to thank all those who have regularly hounded us with calls and emails seeking affortable, easy-to-integrate sports data. They deserve all the Credit.