SCALABLE AUDIOVISUAL STREAMING METHOD AND APPARATUS

A real-time audiovisual streaming system transmits audiovisual content over an internetwork from an audiovisual stream source to a plurality of invited viewers. The system includes an application monitor coupled to an internetwork to monitor performance of each of a plurality of streaming servers coupled to the internetwork. The application monitor selects at least one streaming server to receive and broadcast an audiovisual stream over the internetwork, based on its monitoring of the streaming servers. The application monitor also monitors performance of each of a plurality of control servers and selects at least one control server based thereon to establish control with the audiovisual stream source to enable transmission of the audiovisual stream from the audiovisual stream source to the at least one selected streaming server and to establish control with at least one of the plurality of invited viewers to enable the broadcast of the audiovisual stream from the at least one selected streaming server to the at least one invited viewer.