A video streaming system comprises one or more servers, each of the one or more servers including one or more processors and a memory. The one or more servers receive signaling from a client device via a packet-based telecommunication network. In response to the received signaling, the one or more servers transmit to the client device, via the packet-based telecommunication network, one or more files in a format compatible with a media player on the client device, the one or more files including (i) an indication of one or more segments of video content, (ii) one or more URLs identifying one or more resources of a content distribution network available to facilitate streaming of the one or more segments and one or more advertisements to the client device, (iii) information instructing the client device how to communicate with the one or more resources to cause the one or more segments of the video content and the one or more advertisements to be streamed to the client device in a predetermined sequence, and (iv) an identifier uniquely associated with the client device and a viewing session for the video content.