Program and device class entitlements in a media platform

A method operable on a user device for enforcing program entitlements for a live streaming adaptive bitrate (ABR) stream, the method comprising:

• receiving channel entitlements for a channel in the live streaming ABR stream;
• receiving, in the live streaming ABR stream, an ABR manifest from a content distribution network, the ABR manifest containing program information for a first program on the channel;
• a media client that operates under control of a processor on the user device determining whether a first program entitlement block that is applicable only to the first program is provided in the program information;
• if the first program entitlement block is provided,
• the media client determining whether the first program entitlement block comprises a plurality of entitlement objects that each comprises a set of entitlements and targets a respective device class to which the set of entitlements is applied;
• and
• responsive to determining that the first program entitlement block comprises a plurality of entitlement objects, the media client parsing respective device classes within the first program entitlement block until a first device class matching the user device is found, selecting a respective entitlement object of the plurality of entitlement objects and using entitlements specified in the selected entitlement object to enforce entitlements for the first program;
• responsive to determining that the first program entitlement block does not comprise a plurality of entitlement objects, the media client using entitlements specified in the first program entitlement block to enforce entitlements for the first program;
• and
• if the first program entitlement block is not provided, using the channel entitlements to enforce entitlements for the first program.

An apparatus for enforcing program entitlements for a live streaming adaptive bitrate (ABR) channel comprising:

• one or more processors operably coupled to a memory having a sequence of program instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, perform the following:
• receiving channel entitlements from a network node;
• receiving, in the live streaming ABR channel from a content distribution network, an ABR manifest containing first program information for a first program in the live streaming ABR channel, the first program information providing a first program entitlement block that is applicable only to the first program;
• determining whether the first program entitlement block comprises a plurality of entitlement objects, at least one entitlement object having a respective device class with which the entitlement object is associated;
• responsive to determining that the first program entitlement block comprises a plurality of entitlement objects that each comprises a set of entitlements and targets a respective device class to which the entitlements belong, parsing respective device classes within the first program entitlement block until a first device class matching the user device is found, selecting a respective entitlement object of the plurality of entitlement objects and using the entitlements specified in the selected entitlement object to enforce entitlements for the first program;
• and
• responsive to determining that the first program entitlement block does not comprise a plurality of entitlement objects, using entitlements specified in the first program entitlement block to enforce entitlements for the first program.