Multicast packets from streaming services on a data network are reduced. A packet conversion policy distributes OpenFlow rules to network components involved in multicasting services. In coordination with, and responsive to, detecting a matching service provider advertisement and service receiver request, executing an SDN policy governing a multicast streaming service. Specifically, multicast packets from a flow for streaming the multicast service are converted from multicast to unicast when sent from the network component associated with the service provider, and then are converted from unicast to multicast when received at the network component associated with the station.