A method of sharing a streaming content item to a target user equipment (UE) device on a network includes identifying a UE device on the network that is currently receiving the content item. The method determines whether the target and source UE devices are serviced by a common base station. If they are, the method commands the base station to multicast the content item to the UE device and the target UE device. The method also includes sharing a content item stored on a first UE device with a second UE device by commanding the first UE device to send the content item to the second UE device without going through the network or by commanding the first UE device to upload the content item to the base station and then downloading the content item from the base station to the first UE device.