Optimized over-the-top delivery of content for linear services

A method for providing content as a linear content stream, the method comprising:

• receiving and segregating the content into data packages;
• identifying each data package with a unique signature;
• responsive to a request from a receiving system, receiving first data packages and second data packages at the receiving system, the first data packages supplied from a content delivery network and the second data packages supplied from a storage cache;
• storing the first and second data packages;
• creating a modified manifest that identifies each one of the first and second data packages according to its unique signature, indicates a location for each one of the first and second data packages, and instructs the order in which to assemble identified first and second data packages to create the linear content stream;
• identifying and deleting redundant data packages within the first data packages from the modified manifest, and identifying and deleting redundant data packages within the second data packages from the modified manifest, such that redundant data packages from the first data packages and redundant data packages from the second data packages will not be present in the linear content stream;
• and
• wherein deleting data packages from the modified manifest creates white spaces of open time intervals within the modified manifest;
• filling the white spaces with alternative data packages comprising alternative content;
• creating the linear content stream according to the modified manifest;
• and
• providing the content according to the linear content stream.

A method for providing content to a network, the method comprising:

• a source for collecting data and segregating the data into data packages, the content represented by the data packages;
• identifying each data package with a unique signature;
• creating a manifest that identifies each data package according to its unique signature and indicates a location for each data package;
• identifying and deleting redundant data packages from the manifest, wherein redundant data packages are determined by identical signatures, and wherein deleting redundant data packages create white space of open time intervals;
• filling the white spaces with alternative content;
• modifying the manifest to include the alternative content;
• a receiving system requesting data packages according to the manifest;
• providing requested data packages to the receiving system according to a modified manifest, the requested data packages retrieved from a storage location or from a content delivery network.