Hulu, LLC

Paul Henke

Yingan Wang

Aleksandar Zambelli

Isha Shah

Douglas Jimenez

In some embodiments, a method receives a request for an instance of content and determines content metadata for the instance of content. A metric for concurrent playback sessions based on the content metadata is determined. The concurrent playback sessions are actively streaming content. The method evaluates the request to block or allow the request based on comparing the metric for concurrent playback sessions to a threshold for the concurrent playback sessions.

Content type concurrent session limiter

In one embodiment, a request is received from a user to open a stream for an upcoming second live media program during a time period in which users request a manifest for the upcoming second live media program that will start after a first live media program ends. The method uses a per device stream limit for the user to determine whether to allow the request. A device identifier database is accessed to determine current device identifiers associated with devices that the user is currently using to receive media programs. The method determines whether a device identifier associated with a device that sent the request is found in the current device identifiers. In response to determining that the device identifier for the request is found in the current device identifiers, the request to open the stream is allowed based on determining that the per device stream limit is not violated.

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Seattle, WA, United States of America

Paul Henke