# How real-time is a real-time odds API?

> Independent. Not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Novig.

Canonical: https://novigapi.com/answers/real-time-odds-api
Updated: 2026-11-15

It depends on the plan. On 15 Nov 2026 TheRundown stated 5 minutes on Free, 60 s on Starter, 30 s on Pro and real time from Ultra; SportsGameOdds 10 minutes free, 3 minutes Rookie, sub-minute Pro; Unabated 15 seconds free. novigapi.com REST data is at most about 10 s old on paid plans. (Source: [TheRundown: API pricing](https://therundown.io/pricing/api))

"Real time" in an odds API usually means the provider's polling interval of the books it scrapes. Ask for the stated delay per plan, and measure it yourself with timestamps in the response.

Every novigapi.com response carries `observed_at` and `source_age_seconds`, so you can see how old each price is.

## How the options compare

Stated freshness by plan, checked 15 Nov 2026

| Source | Free | Paid |
| --- | --- | --- |
| TheRundown | 5-minute delay | 60 s (Starter), 30 s (Pro), real time (Ultra and up) |
| SportsGameOdds | 10-minute updates | 3 minutes (Rookie), sub-minute (Pro) |
| Unabated | 15-second delay | Real time (Concierge, Enterprise) |
| SharpAPI | Not stated | Undelayed REST on Hobby |
| novigapi.com | Stream delayed 300 s; REST from the same data | REST at most about 10 s old; stream pushes changes within 5 to 30 s |


## Where novigapi.com falls short

> We are not faster than Novig itself: Novig's public edge caches books and trades for 5 seconds and markets for 10, and our numbers inherit that.

## Try it

```bash
curl -s "https://novigapi.com/api/v1/markets?league=NFL&limit=1" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $NOVIGAPI_KEY" | jq '.meta'
```

Read the [endpoint reference](https://novigapi.com/docs/endpoints), compare [plans and credits](https://novigapi.com/pricing), or send a request from the [playground](https://novigapi.com/playground).

## Questions

### Can any odds API be truly real time?

Only a venue's own feed. Every third-party feed adds its polling interval and network time.

## Sources

- [TheRundown: API pricing](https://therundown.io/pricing/api)
- [SportsGameOdds: pricing](https://sportsgameodds.com/pricing)
- [Unabated: Odds API overview](https://unabated.com/odds-api)
- [SharpAPI: pricing](https://sharpapi.io/pricing)
- [novigapi.com endpoint reference](https://novigapi.com/docs/endpoints)

---

Get a free API key: https://novigapi.com/sign-up . Docs: https://novigapi.com/docs . MCP: https://novigapi.com/api/mcp . Operated by Stunning Couches LLC. Independent. Not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Novig.