Building a Decentralized Live Sports Odds and Scores Hub using Streamr Network

4 min readAug 28, 2023

In the digital age, real-time data has become an invaluable resource, especially in the world of sports where every second counts. Imagine a platform that provides users with up-to-the-minute sports odds and scores, all delivered through a decentralized network.

This is exactly what we’ve accomplished through the power of Streamr Network. In this blog post, we’ll delve into the journey of building a decentralized data hub for live sports odds and scores, highlight its significance, and discuss strategies to maintain data accuracy over time.

Empowering Developers with Streamr Network

Our mission was clear: Create a decentralized data hub that offers users live sports odds and scores in real-time.

To achieve this, we turned to Streamr Network, a cutting-edge platform that enables seamless data streaming. By utilizing the Streamr client library, we paved the way for developers to showcase their talents by streaming intriguing open data to The Hub.

Initiating the Client and Creating the Stream

The foundation of our project lies in the Streamr client. We initiated the client using an Ethereum account to ensure secure interactions. This allowed us to tap into the potential of decentralized technology while maintaining a high level of security.

With the client in place, we created a stream — a sequence of data points over time. This is similar to the concept of topics in traditional pub/sub-networks but with the added advantage of the decentralization that Streamr offers.

Getting started with Streamr is a breeze. Begin by installing the Streamr client using npm:

npm install streamr-client

Next, initialize the client using your Ethereum account’s private key:

import StreamrClient from 'streamr-client';
const streamr = new StreamrClient({
    auth: {
        privateKey: "ethereum-private-key",
    },
});

Creating a Stream for Live Sports Data

A Streamr stream is where data is stored and accessed. Let’s create a stream to hold our live sports odds and scores data:

  const stream = await streamr.getOrCreateStream({
    id: '/livesportodds',
  })

console.log("Stream ID:", stream.id); // e.g. 0x123.../sports/live_scores

Publishing and Subscribing to Data

Publishing data to the stream was remarkably straightforward. Whether using the stream ID or the stream object itself, we were able to seamlessly push data to the network.

To populate the stream with live sports data, you can publish to it:

const liveScoreData = {
    home_team: "Team A",
    away_team: "Team B",
    score: "3 - 2",
    odds: {
        home_win: 1.75,
        draw: 2.00,
        away_win: 2.50,
    },
};

await streamr.publish(stream.id, liveScoreData);

Subscribing to the stream allows you to receive and handle incoming data:

streamr.subscribe(stream.id, (message) => {
    console.log("Received live score data:", message);
    // Handle the incoming data here
});

For now, you’ll need to use the Streamr CLI tool to request a resend of historical sports Odd and score data printed as JSON objects to stdout line-by-line.

For example, to fetch the latest messages of the sports odd and scores public stream:

npm install -g @streamr/cli-tools

streamr stream resend last 1 0xefb879c8d74628d68ad7e563f5a281b35d61ec92/livesportscores

streamr stream resend last 1 0xefb879c8d74628d68ad7e563f5a281b35d61ec92/livesportodds

This capability ensured that the latest sports odds and scores were always available to users in real-time.

On the receiving end, subscribing to the stream allowed us to handle incoming data efficiently.

By integrating this functionality into our application, we enabled users to stay connected to the latest sports updates effortlessly.

Relevant Use Cases

The potential use cases for our decentralized live sports odds and scores hub are vast.

Betting Platforms: Betting enthusiasts can receive real-time updates on odds, enabling them to make informed decisions.
Fantasy Sports: Fantasy sports platforms can integrate live scores to provide players with up-to-date statistics, enhancing their gameplay experience.
Media Outlets: Media outlets can leverage live scores to keep their audience informed about ongoing matches and sports events.

Maintaining Data Accuracy

Ensuring data accuracy is crucial for any real-time information platform. One of the strategies we implemented to prevent data decay was a scheduled update mechanism.

By writing a JavaScript program that runs every 7 days, we fetched and updated the odds and scores from the source API. This proactive approach guaranteed that the information provided to users remained current and reliable.

const fetchAndUpdateData = async () => {
    // Fetch updated data from the API
    const updatedData = await fetch("https://api.example.com/live_scores");
    
    // Update the Streamr stream with the new data
    await streamr.publish(stream.id, updatedData);
};

// Schedule the function to run every 7 days
setInterval(fetchAndUpdateData, 7 * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000);

Additionally, incorporating error-handling mechanisms and implementing data validation processes further bolstered the accuracy of our data stream.

Conclusion

In the world of decentralized technology, we’ve achieved an exceptional feat by building a live sports odds and scores hub using the Streamr Network.

Our journey highlights the immense potential of decentralized data streaming, empowering developers to create innovative solutions. By embracing real-time data and employing strategies to maintain data accuracy, we’ve laid the foundation for a dynamic and reliable platform that serves sports enthusiasts, gamers, and media alike.

If you’re a developer looking to make your mark in the world of decentralized data, Streamr Network is your gateway to innovation.

Join us in revolutionizing the way information is delivered, shared, and experienced. The possibilities are endless, and the future is now.

Helpful Resources:

Link to Live Sports Odds and Scores Data on Streamr Data Hub: https://streamr.network/hub/projects/0xcb3cc5b917e4f7b99250a6473bee1cbf429d66fc5703ea26ec4b1eeeb26ef090/overview
Link to Streamr Network Documentation: https://docs.streamr.network/