30/11-2023
Article: Using your strengths – Raw data vs. widgets
Read about how to navigate the opportunities with raw data vs. widgets and find out what suits your business the best.
The challenges
For many businesses in the sports coverage industry, it’s essential to consider that there are different ways of working with sports data depending on technical capabilities, financial resources, and desired outcomes. This may create some challenges where high costs and limited customization possibilities divert businesses from meeting specific needs as they strain budgets and hold back innovative content creation. At the same time, it might be a question of resource allocation and development skills, where the technical expertise needed to effectively integrate and utilize raw datasets can drain resources and restrict fully leveraging this valuable asset.
In the following sections, we will go over some strategies to help overcome these challenges.
Raw Data vs. Widgets
When it comes to leveraging sports data, the route you choose to follow can significantly impact the brand’s growth and audience engagement. Two primary avenues are available—raw data and widgets—each with distinct benefits and drawbacks.
What is Raw Data?
Raw data is the unrefined, primary information collected directly from the source – much like raw material awaiting form in a factory. Its greatest strength lies in its flexibility, offering infinite customization for any narrative, insight, or presentation style. This vast potential, however, is coupled with its complexities. Handling such sports data feeds requires expert skills and resources; without the appropriate expertise, manoeuvring through the fine points can resemble decoding an intricate game plan without the coach’s tactics.
What are Widgets?
Widgets, on the contrary, are ready-to-use user-friendly tools provided by data vendors. They come pre-packaged with accessible data and function as quick, straightforward solutions. Integration requires minimal development skills, easing the technical team’s burden. However, while widgets are convenient and easy to use, they inherently come with certain limitations: they offer only what the data provider has available.
Balancing Raw Data and Widgets for Maximum Impact
Now, the challenge lies in choosing between raw data’s boundless flexibility and widgets’ user-friendly convenience.
But what if… you didn’t have to choose?
For smaller organizations or those without a dedicated developer team, widgets may initially serve as the perfect solution, providing quick
and efficient data integration. As the brand grows and develops more sophisticated needs, raw data comes into play, offering an advanced level of customization.
The ideal scenario is to have a sports data provider that caters to both needs. This balanced toolkit allows you to navigate the complex demands of the data-driven landscape. You can leverage raw data for projects requiring high customization levels and rely on widgets for quick, efficient setup when needed.
Moreover, versatility becomes critical in a world where mobile devices account for over 58% of global website traffic as of the first half of 2023. As such, it’s essential to choose a provider with an extensive array of widget options, optimized to fit various screen sizes.
Want to know more?
If you want to learn about more strategies that can help you overcome industry challenges, click below to download our whitepaper where we have boiled down some of the essential industry knowledge that we have collected over the span of 23 years in the game!
Other news
03/02-2026
FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage
As the excitement builds toward the FIFA World Cup 2026, the scale of the tournament is bigger than ever. With 48 national teams, 16 cities, and a massive global audience. At Enetpulse, we’re fully prepared to cover every single moment of it.
Our World Cup 2026 coverage gives you depth and reliability to keep users engaged, from the opening match to the final whistle.
Our coverage and delivery formats are tailored to fit businesses of all types, whether you’re building a live score section, powering a sports media app, or offering white-label experiences. Everything is powered by our sports data API delivered through JSON, enabling real-time delivery and simple integration.
30/01-2026
Super Bowl 2026
The 60th edition of the NFL’s championship game, Super Bowl 2026, will be played on February 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. As fans across the U.S. watch the action unfold, there’s an unseen layer working in the background.
Live sports data.
From kick-off to the final play, Super Bowl 2026 will generate a huge amount of structured data. Every yard gained, flag thrown, or player substitution is logged, categorized, and sent out in real-time.
Super Bowl data doesn’t just track the score. It covers every part of the game: passing accuracy, rushing attempts, red zone stats, pressure on the quarterback, and much more. It’s the kind of detail that lets platforms build live match centers, push instant updates, or provide commentary with real context.
10/12-2025
Product release: WWE & Poker
At Enetpulse, we continue to expand our sports data coverage to meet the demands of the digital sports environment.
Our latest release introduces two new sports verticals: WWE and Poker, each now available through our data services with detailed and structured information.
Both WWE and Poker data are built on the same stable infrastructure that powers our global sports coverage. Whether you’re focused on editorial content, digital platforms, or analytical solutions, these new data sets are designed for easy integration and scalability.