In 2012, ESPN launched a Developer Center, opening up its vast array of editorial content, statistics, and other data to third-party developers for the first time. As a key part of the launch, ESPN made its 'Headlines API' available, allowing third-party developers to feed into the site's daily news stories and headlines, while several other APIs, including a 'Scores and Schedules API', were launched in private beta for select partners.
ESPN Starts Opening The Doors To Its Data With Developer Center, First API Program
http://techcrunch.com/2012/03/05/espn-developer-center-and-apis/