Systems and methods for managing content distribution to an in-transit media system

A method comprising:

• establishing, at a network access unit located on a craft, a plurality of connections with a plurality of client devices on the craft;
• establishing communication between a media delivery system located on the craft and the network access unit;
• receiving, at the network access unit:
• requests for linear media channel segments of a group of linear media channels from among a plurality of linear media channels offered within the craft by the media delivery system in response to requests originating on the craft for the group of linear media channels;
• and
• requests for network data different than the group of linear media channels and originating from at least one of the plurality of client devices on the craft;
• transmitting, via a communication link, a return link signal comprising the requests for the linear media channel segments and the requests for the network data;
• receiving, for a time period, a multiplexed forward link signal comprising linear media channel packets of the requested linear media channel segments and network traffic packets of the requested network data;
• demultiplexing the forward link signal into the linear media channel packets and the network traffic packets;
• providing the linear media channel packets to the media delivery system for buffering and distribution according to the requests originating on the craft for the group of linear media channels;
• associating each respective network traffic packet of the network traffic packets with a respective client device of the plurality of client devices on the craft;
• and
• communicating each respective network traffic packet of the network traffic packets to the respective client device associated with the respective network traffic packet via at least one of the plurality of connections.

An apparatus for location on a craft, comprising:

• a media delivery system comprising a media buffer;
• and
• a network access unit in communication with the media delivery system, the network access unit configured to:
• establish a plurality of connections with a plurality of client devices on the craft;
• establish communication with the media delivery system;
• receive requests for linear media channel segments of a group of linear media channels from among a plurality of linear media channels offered within the craft by the media delivery system in response to requests originating on the craft for the group of linear media channels;
• receive requests for network data other than a linear media channel originating from at least one of the plurality of client devices on the craft;
• transmit, via a communication link, a return link signal comprising the requests for the linear media channel segments and the requests for the network data;
• receive, for a time period, a multiplexed forward link signal comprising linear media channel packets of the requested linear media channel segments and network traffic packets of the requested network data;
• demultiplex the forward link signal into the linear media channel packets and the network traffic packets;
• provide the linear media channel packets to the media delivery system for buffering and distribution according to the requests originating on the craft for the group of linear media channels;
• associate each respective network traffic packet of the network traffic packets with a respective client device of the plurality of client devices on the craft;
• and
• communicate each respective network traffic packet of the network traffic packets to the respective client device associated with the respective network traffic packet via at least one of the plurality of connections.