Systems and methods for secure content distribution to playback devices connected to a local network via a residential gateway using secure links are disclosed. One embodiment of the invention includes a content server, a rights management server, a residential gateway configured to communicate with the content server and the rights management server via a network, and a playback device configured to communicate with the residential gateway via a local network. In addition, the residential gateway is configured to receive protected content from the content server, the playback device is configured to request access to the protected content from the residential gateway, the residential gateway is configured to request access to the protected content from the rights management server and the request includes information uniquely identifying the playback device, the rights management server is configured to provide access information to the residential gateway when the information uniquely identifying the playback device satisfies at least one predetermined criterion with respect to playback devices associated with the residential gateway, the residential gateway and the playback device are configured to create a secure link between the residential gateway and the playback device via the local network, and the residential gateway is configured to decrypt the protected content using the access information provided by the rights management server and to encrypt the decrypted content for distribution to the playback device via the secure link.