Multi-tenant over-the-top multicast

A system comprising:

• an event source comprising a processor and network connectivity operating to stream a particular event simultaneously over a plurality of multicast groups and unicast, each multicast group of the plurality of multicast groups being identified with a different multicast address and each multicast group providing same content of the particular event at a different preset quality level, wherein the event source passes at least one of metadata and a manifest file comprising the different multicast addresses at which each of the plurality of multicast groups is accessible, parameters for each preset quality level associated with each multicast group of the plurality of multicast groups, and at least one unicast address associated with a custom quality level of the particular event;
• and
• a client application configured to execute on any of the plurality of user devices having a processor, the client application optimizing the particular event presentation for a particular user device on which the client application executes, wherein optimizing the particular event presentation comprises (i) receiving the particular event at a first quality level by joining a first multicast group of the plurality of multicast groups identified by a first multicast address, (ii) monitoring at the client application, resources and network connectivity of the particular user device while receiving the particular event at the first quality level, (iii) initiating by the client application a change in quality of the particular event presentation based on said monitoring and parameters for each quality level identified in at least one of the metadata and the manifest file, wherein said initiating comprises leaving the first multicast group based on a leave message sent from the client application, joining a second multicast group of the plurality of multicast groups identified by a second multicast address in response to a second quality level of the second multicast group improving the particular event presentation on the particular user device relative to the first quality level of the first multicast group and the client application sending a join message to initiate the joining, and requesting the particular event at a custom third quality level with unicast addressing in response to the custom third quality level being outside the preset quality levels provided by the plurality of multicast groups and the custom third quality level improving the particular event presentation on the particular user device relative to the different preset quality levels provided by the plurality of multicast groups.

A computer-implemented method performed by a user device executing a client application, the client application using a plurality of multicast groups to customize streaming of a particular event to the user device, the computer-implemented method comprising:

• submitting a request for the particular event to a unicast address;
• receiving at the user device in response to said request, a file identifying a plurality of multicast addresses at which the particular event is available, wherein the plurality of multicast addresses comprises a first set of addresses from which a live feed of the particular event streams at different quality levels and a second set of addresses from which the particular event streams at the different quality levels with a first delay;
• joining a first multicast group of the plurality of multicast groups providing a live feed of the particular event at a first quality level, wherein joining the first multicast group comprises accessing the particular event with a first multicast address from the first set of multicast addresses;
• customizing presentation of the particular event in response to any of a change in user device resources and network conditions with the user device initiating a leave of said first multicast group and initiating a join of a second multicast group of the plurality of multicast groups identified in said file as providing the live feed of the particular event at a different second quality level, wherein initiating a join of the second multicast group comprises accessing the particular event with a different second multicast address from the first set of multicast addresses;
• and
• customizing presentation of the particular event in response to user input to rewind the particular event with the user device initiating a leave of the second multicast group and initiating a join of a third multicast group of the plurality of multicast groups identified in said file as providing the particular event with the first delay, wherein initiating a join of the third multicast group comprises accessing the particular event with a multicast address from the second set of multicast addresses.