DELIVERING AN AUDIO VIDEO ASSET

A method of delivering an audio video asset is described. The method includes: receiving an order specifying an audio video asset to be delivered and a delivery destination for the audio video asset, wherein a delivery destination represents one or more physical delivery recipients; determining delivery paths representing different delivery technologies that could be used to deliver the audio video asset to the delivery destination; retrieving a set of path capacity timelines for the delivery paths, wherein path capacity timelines in the set of path capacity timelines each model a quantity of available capacity varying over time; processing the path capacity timelines to yield delivery path capacities; applying an allocation algorithm to the delivery path capacities to yield candidate delivery allocations, wherein candidate delivery allocations each includes one or more time periods during which one or more time periods a defined quantity of capacity can be allocated for delivery of the audio video asset; applying a cost function to the candidate delivery allocations to yield cost values, wherein the cost values each represent a cost of delivering the audio video asset according to the candidate delivery allocations; calculating scores for the candidate delivery allocations in dependence on a cost value for that candidate delivery allocation and one or more other objectives; selecting a candidate delivery allocation having a lowest score to yield a selected candidate delivery allocation; and delivering the audio video asset according to the selected candidate delivery allocation. Related apparatus and methods are also described. L'invention concerne un procédé de distribution d'un contenu audio-vidéo, consistant : à recevoir un ordre spécifiant un contenu audio-vidéo à distribuer et une destination de distribution de ce contenu, cette destination représentant au moins un destinataire de distribution physique; à déterminer des trajets de distribution représentant des technologies de distribution différentes qui pourraient servir à distribuer le contenu audio-vidéo à la destination de distribution; à récupérer un ensemble de chronologies de capacité de trajet pour les trajets de distribution, les chronologies de capacité de trajet de l'ensemble modélisant chacune une quantité de capacité disponible variant dans le temps; à traiter les chronologies de capacité de trajet pour produire des capacités de trajet de distribution; à appliquer un algorithme d'attribu