Method and system for prioritizing content in a delivery queue of a content delivery system

1. A method comprising:

assigning a content category and content identifier to a content;

communicating the content category and content identifier for the content to a prioritizer;

associating a lifecycle having a plurality of lifecycle states with the content category;

assigning a first priority to the content having a first lifecycle state from the plurality of lifecycle states;

electronically communicating the content based on the lifecycle and first priority;

changing the first lifecycle state to a second lifecycle state within the first priority;

electronically communicating the content based on the lifecycle and the second lifecycle state;

changing the first priority to a second priority; and

electronically communicating the content based on the lifecycle and second priority.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein assigning a category and content identifier to content comprises assigning the category and content identifier to an advertisement.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein assigning a category and content identifier to content comprises assigning the category and content identifier to a movie.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein further comprising assigning a rights start date and a rights end date to the content.

5. A method as recited in claim 4 wherein changing the first lifecycle state to a second lifecycle state comprises changing the first lifecycle state to the second lifecycle in response to the rights start date.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the category and the content identifier comprise communicating the category and the content identifier from a listing service to the prioritizer within metadata.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising assigning a linear start date to the content.

8. A method as recited in claim 7 wherein changing the first lifecycle state to a second lifecycle state comprises changing the first lifecycle state to the second lifecycle state based on the linear start date.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein assigning a first priority to the content comprises assigning the first priority based on a push lifecycle state.

10. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein assigning a first priority to the content comprises assigning the first priority based on a carousel lifecycle state.

11. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein changing the first lifecycle state comprises changing the first lifecycle state to a linear state and removing the content from the first priority in response to the linear state.

12. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising determining a demand for the content and changing the first priority in response to the demand.

13. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein determining a demand comprises determining the demand based on aggregated user wanted list data.

14. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein determining a demand comprises determining the demand after collecting data from customer user devices.

15. A method as recited in claim 14 wherein after collecting determining an average weighted rank for the content.

16. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein determining a demand comprises determining the demand based on aggregated user viewing data.

17. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein determining a demand comprises estimating a purchase rate.

18. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein assigning a priority comprises assigning a high priority or a low priority.

19. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the second lifecycle state comprises a composite lifecycle state comprising more than one lifecycle state.

20. A system comprising:

a prioritizer; and

a listing module communicating a content category and content identifier to the prioritizer;

said content category and said content identifier are assigned to a content;

said prioritizer associating a lifecycle having a plurality of lifecycle states with the content category, assigning a first priority to the content having a first lifecycle state from the plurality of lifecycle states;

a content processing system controlling broadcasting the content based on the lifecycle and the first priority;

said prioritizer changing the first lifecycle state to a second lifecycle state within the first priority;

said content processing system controlling broadcasting the content based on the lifecycle and the second lifecycle state;

said prioritizer changing the first priority to a second priority; and

said content processing system controlling broadcasting the content based on the lifecycle and second priority.

21. A system as recited in claim 20 wherein the content comprises an advertisement.

22. A system as recited in claim 20 wherein the content identifier comprises a movie.

23. A system as recited in claim 20 wherein further comprising assigning a rights start date and a rights end date to the content.

24. A system as recited in claim 23 wherein the prioritizer changes the first lifecycle state to the second lifecycle state comprises in response to the rights start date.

25. A system as recited in claim 20 wherein a listing service communicates the category and the content identifier to the prioritizer within metadata.

26. A system as recited in claim 20 wherein prioritizer changes the first lifecycle state to the second lifecycle state based on a linear start date.

27. A system as recited in claim 20 wherein the prioritizer assigns a first priority to the content based on a push lifecycle state.

28. A system as recited in claim 20 wherein the prioritizer assigns a first priority to the content based on a carousel lifecycle state.

29. A system as recited in claim 20 wherein the prioritizer removes the content from the first priority in response to a linear state.

30. A system as recited in claim 20 wherein the first lifecycle state comprises a priority.

31. A system as recited in claim 30 wherein the priority is determined based on demand for the content.

32. A system as recited in claim 31 wherein the demand is based on aggregated user wanted list data.

33. A system as recited in claim 31 wherein the demand is based on data collected from a user device.

34. A system as recited in claim 33 wherein the prioritizer determines an average weighted rank for the content.

35. A system as recited in claim 31 wherein the demand is based on aggregated user viewing data.

36. A system as recited in claim 31 wherein the demand comprises an estimate of a purchase rate.

37. A system as recited in claim 30 wherein the priority comprises a high priority or a low priority.

38. A system as recited in claim 20 further comprising a listing service that notifies the prioritizer of new content with a notification signal and a content category signal for the new content.

39. A system as recited in claim 20 wherein the second lifecycle state comprises a composite lifecycle state comprising more than one lifecycle state.

40. A prioritizer in communication with a content processing system comprising:

a lifecycle manager module associating a lifecycle having a plurality of lifecycle states with a content category of a content;

a priority manager module assigning a first priority assignment to the content having a first lifecycle state from the plurality of lifecycle states;

said priority manager causing the content processing system to communicate content based on the lifecycle and the first priority assignment;

a state module changing the first lifecycle state to a second lifecycle state within the first priority assignment based on a time;

said priority manager causing the content processing system to communicate content based on the lifecycle and the second lifecycle state;

said priority manager module changing the first priority assignment to a second priority assignment; and

said priority manager causing the content processing system to communicate content based on the lifecycle and the second priority assignment.

41. A prioritizer as recited in claim 40 wherein state module changes the first lifecycle state to the second lifecycle state in response to a rights start date.

42. A prioritizer as recited in claim 40 wherein the state module changes the first lifecycle state to the second lifecycle state based on a linear start date.

43. A prioritizer as recited in claim 42 wherein the state module removes the content from the first priority in response to a linear state.

44. A prioritizer as recited in claim 42 wherein the priority manager module assigns a priority is based on demand for the content.

45. A prioritizer as recited in claim 42 further comprising a demand analyzer that determines an aggregate user demand based on data collected from a user device.

46. A prioritizer as recited in claim 45 wherein the demand analyzer determines the aggregate user demand based on wanted list data collected from a user device.

47. A prioritizer as recited in claim 45 wherein the demand analyzer determines the aggregate user demand based on viewing data collected from a user device.

48. A prioritizer as recited in claim 45 wherein the demand analyzer determines the aggregate user demand comprises a purchase rate.