Apparatus and methods for handling situations where requested services require more network capacity than presently available, and notifying network users of an delay in providing such services. In one embodiment, the invention comprises apparatus and methods for the detection of capacity (e.g., bandwidth) shortage, determination of a delayed delivery mode and schedule for the delivery of the requested content, and notification of the availability of the content to the user via, e.g., on-screen display, e-mail, text message, or other mode. The user can also specify their own notification preferences and delivery time. Requests for and delivery of the content may be performed from/to different locations as well. Network server apparatus, consumer premises equipment (CPE), and a software architecture adapted to implement the foregoing functionality, are also disclosed.