1. A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving, at a distribution management device, a request for a content item from a requesting local device, wherein the distribution management device is at a first level of a content distribution architecture, the requesting local device is one of a plurality of local devices at a second level and each local device serves a plurality of sub devices at a third level and wherein each local device is located at a packet data network gateway and each sub device is located at a serving gateway; determining whether the requested content item is available from the distribution management device; sending the requested content item to the requesting local device in response to determining that the requested content item is available; identifying at least one of the remaining local devices that has the requested content item in response to determining that the requested content is not available; identifying a minimum routing cost local device for routing the requested content to the requesting local device based on the identified at least one other local device that has the requested content item; and sending a request for the requested content to the identified minimum routing cost local device.