A method and system for transmitting digital content, such as Internet Protocol television (IPTV) content, to a downstream modulator, such as an Edge Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (EQAM) modulator, within a cable system that includes a Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS), such as a modular CMTS (M-CMTS). Content is transmitted from a content source to the EQAM, via one or more networks, such as a regional area network and a converged interconnect network (CIN), in a manner that bypasses the M-CMTS. Conventionally, downstream IPTV content travels from the content source to the CIN, to the M-CMTS, back through the CIN and to the EQAM. By tunneling IPTV content directly to the downstream modulator, fewer M-CMTS components and less CIN switching bandwidth are involved than in conventional methods and systems. The cost savings associated with bypassing expensive CMTS components allows IPTV content delivery at costs comparable to conventional content transmission methods.