Method and apparatus for session-based watermarking of streamed content

Watermarking of a content stream is accomplished in a session based manner to provide watermarking based on a uniquely generated manifest that will result in a stream that allows for unique identification of information. The manifest specifies a sequence of watermarks for successive segments of a content stream designated for a specific receiver. The system and method leverages existing content distribution infrastructure and has many of the benefits of conventional head-end watermarking, allows unique identification of small segments of the data stream and reduces content distribution network storage requirements.