In one embodiment, a method includes determining a first node as a current termination node of a first multicast flow; determining whether a link between the first node and a downstream next-hop node has available bandwidth to accommodate the first multicast flow, where the downstream next-hop node is not currently associated with the first multicast flow; and transmitting the first multicast flow to the downstream next-hop node according to a determination that the link between the first node and a downstream next-hop node has available bandwidth to accommodate the first multicast flow. According to some implementations, the method is performed by a controller with one or more processors and non-transitory memory, where the controller is communicatively coupled to a plurality of network nodes in a network.