The disclosed embodiments provide a system that facilitates broadcast transmission in a distributed content delivery network. The system includes a node in the distributed content delivery network that plays a content stream received over the distributed content delivery network. The node includes a leadership-management apparatus that identifies the node as a peer leader in a local network of the distributed content delivery network. The node also includes a broadcasting apparatus. Upon identification of the node as the peer leader, the broadcasting apparatus obtains the content stream from a content source, broadcasts the content stream to other nodes in the local network, and adjusts a bit rate of the content stream based on one or more attributes associated with obtaining the content stream from the content source.