Systems and methods for multicasting live content

A computer-implemented method for multicasting live content data, the method comprising:

• joining a multicast transmission from a multicast server to receive live content data;
• transmitting packets containing the live content data from the multicast server to a plurality of gateway devices by way of the multicast transmission;
• establishing a secured communication session between a given one of the gateway devices and an associated player device using an intermediary server with a valid server certificate that is recognized as secure and trusted by the given gateway device and the associated player device, the secured communication session for secure real-time transmission from the given gateway device to the associated player device, wherein the intermediary server determines the gateway device and the associated player device are associated and eligible for secured communication by matching source IP addresses, the valid server certificate allowing the gateway device and the associated player device to communicate without requiring the gateway device and the associated player device to host a trusted server certificate;
• and
• transmitting the live content data from the packets from the given gateway device to the associated player device by way of a unicast transmission using the secured communication session.

A gateway device for transmission of live content, the gateway device comprising:

• at least one processor;
• memory in communication with the at least one processor;
• software code stored in the memory, which when executed at the at least one processor causes the gateway device to:
• join a multicast transmission from a multicast server to receive live content data;
• receive packets containing the live content data by way of the multicast transmission from the multicast server;
• establish a secured communication session with an associated player device using an intermediary server with a valid server certificate that is recognized as secure and trusted by the gateway device and the associated player device, the secured communication session for secure real-time transmission from the gateway device to the associated player device, wherein the intermediary server determines the gateway device and the associated player device are associated and eligible for secured communication by matching source IP addresses, the valid server certificate allowing the gateway device and the associated player device to communicate without requiring the gateway device and the associated player device to host a trusted server certificate;
• and
• transmit the live content data from the packets to the associated player device by way of a unicast transmission using the secured communication session.