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TVmaze user API

TVmaze user API

Upmediaby Tvmaze

TVmaze API provides TV show data — show list, per-episode air date and summary, cast, channels — free with no API key required.

Visit site ↗Health checked 9h ago
Use it when

Fully free + no API key

Watch for

Default rate limits are tight (20/sec)

First check

GET https://api.tvmaze.com/shows/1 for show details; /search/shows?q=arrow to search; /shows/1/episodes for episode list.

Auth
—
CORS
No
HTTPS
Yes
Signup
?
Latency
616 ms
Protocol
REST
Pricing
—

Uptime · 30-day window

Probes: 1Uptime: 100%Avg latency: 616ms
01

About this API

TVmaze is the free-API dark horse in TV data. vs. TMDB (also free, but covers both movies and TV): TVmaze focuses on TV — more complete per-episode data, more accurate platforms (Netflix, Hulu, or which network premiered). Fully free, no API key, clean docs — great for personal TV-tracking apps, subtitle projects, TV recommendation experiments. Distinctive feature: "schedule" endpoint — GET /schedule?country=US&date=2024-01-01 returns what aired on US TV that day. Great for TV-guide-style apps. Downside: tight rate limits (20/sec globally shared); high-traffic apps must contact for commercial-use approval.

02

What you can build

  • 1TV tracking apps (users mark watched episodes)
  • 2TV schedule displays
  • 3TV metadata for recommendation systems
  • 4Chatbots answering TV questions
03

Strengths & limitations

Strengths

  • Fully free + no API key
  • Covers mainstream US/UK/EU/Asia shows
  • Complete per-episode data (air date, duration, summary, playback URL)

Limitations

  • Default rate limits are tight (20/sec)
  • Niche or new shows enter the catalog slowly
04

Example request

Generic template — replace <endpoint> with the real path from the docs.
curl http://www.tvmaze.com/<endpoint>
05

Getting started

GET https://api.tvmaze.com/shows/1 for show details; /search/shows?q=arrow to search; /shows/1/episodes for episode list.

06

FAQ

Does it cover Chinese/Japanese shows?+

K-drama, J-drama, anime have partial coverage. Mainland Chinese drama coverage is weaker.

Is the free tier OK for commercial use?+

Low-traffic: yes. Mid/high traffic: contact TVmaze for commercial license.

07

Technical details

CORS: NoHTTPS: YesSignup: ?Open source: No
Auth type
unknown
Pricing
unknown
Protocols
REST
SDKs
python, javascript, go, java
Response time
616 ms
Last health check
5/12/2026, 7:38:31 AM
08

Tags

tvepisodesentertainmentfree-api