A Guide to NCAA and NFL Highlights API Integration

American football is the champion of sports in the United States, that captures the hearts of millions. From the adrenaline packed NCAA games to the Super Bowl, this sport annually draws in over 100 million television viewers in the nation. But its influence extends beyond U.S. borders, ranking as the 9th most popular sport worldwide.

As american football aficionados, we know that each minute on the field holds the potential for good plays and unforgettable moments. The average NFL game lasts approximately 3 hours and 12 minutes, while college football games extend to about 3 hours and 24 minutes. However, what happens when life’s demands pull you away from the game, causing you to miss a higlight? While television networks typically offer a 7-day playback option, the prospect of spending over 10 minutes scouring for a specific play can be cumbersome. Fortunately, in the age of social media, there are enthusiasts who generously share these moments, fostering discussions and celebrations in real time.

As a developer imagine having access to these highlights, which can be used to enhance your blog or news site. By delving into the realm of internet, we stumbled upon an API aggregator offered by Higlightly. This remarkable API seamlessly collects data in real-time from a plethora of sources, including Reddit, Twitter, Facebook, ESPN, YouTube, and more.

It is known for simplicity and intuitiveness, which provides developers with an unparalleled experience. In this guide, we will unravel the world of NCAA and NFL highlights API integration, so that you can share it with your audience.

API Integration Prerequisites Made Simple

As a developer, you can gain access to the API we’ve been talking about in just a few straightforward steps.

Step 1: Rapid API Account Setup

To get started, all you need is a Rapid API account. If you don’t already have one, signing up is quite simple. Once you’ve successfully logged in, you can proceed to the next step.

Step 2: Choose Your Tier

The API offers a BASIC tier which is free. The BASIC tier provides access to all NCAA highlights. However, it’s important to note that NFL highlights are not included in the free tier.

If you want NFL higlights consider upgrading to the PRO tier. It’s an incredibly cost-effective option, offering exceptional value for what it provides.

Pro Tip: Protect Your API Token

Once you’ve obtained your API TOKEN from Rapid API, store it securely on your server and ensure it’s not exposed to your clients.

Fetching NCAA and NFL highlights data

When it comes to developing applications that involve NCAA and NFL highlights, having access to comprehensive documentation is essential. Fortunately, the API we are using provides extensive documentation to assist developers with integration. You can find the official documentation for the NCAA and NFL Highlights API here.

The API is language-agnostic nature. Regardless of which programming language you prefer, you can integrate it into your project. Instead of overwhelming you with code snippets for various programming languages, we recommend visiting the Rapid API testing page. There, you’ll discover ready-made code snippets for a wide range of languages, including C, C#, Java, JavaScript, Ruby, and more.

Now, let’s delve into the core functionality of this API, which revolves around three endpoints:

• /teams and /teams/{team_id}: These endpoints provide team-related information and logos.

• /matches and /matches/{match_id}: The matches endpoint gives you insights into the ongoing matches in NCAA and NFL.

• /highlights and /highlights/{highlight_id}: Arguably the most exciting part of this API, the highlights endpoint allows you to fetch captivating game highlights.

Since the core of this API are higlights, you can simply access them via the following url:

• https://nfl-ncaa-highlights-api.p.rapidapi.com/highlights

This data includes highlights that can engage and entertain your users, enhancing their overall experience:

To ensure you get the most relevant data for your application, the API provides various query parameters. These parameters allow you to filter the data based on your requirements. Some of the query parameters you can utilize for the /highlights endpoint include:

• league: specify the league (NCAA or NFL) you want to fetch highlights for.
• date: filter highlights by a specific date.
• season: narrow down highlights by specifying the season.
• timezone: adjust the time zone for date-related queries.
• homeTeamName: fetch highlights for a particular home team.
• homeTeamAbbreviation: retrieve highlights for a home team using its abbreviation.
• …

For a more in-depth developer experience of the available query parameters, we strongly recommend referring to the API documentation. It provides detailed insights into how you can fine-tune your queries.

Conclusion

Real time highlights coverage is a significant challenge. The above presented API by Highlightly is a good option providing you with highlight clips, game recaps, exclusive interviews, touchdown plays, and more — all delivered to you in real time.

We highly recommend starting with the BASIC plan, which comes at no cost. It’s the perfect way to see the API’s capabilities and how it integrates into your projects. If you feel like the API is good for you, you can upgrade to the PRO plan or higher. With these premium plans, you’ll unlock the full potential of the API, granting you unlimited access to highlights from both the NCAA and NFL.