Methods and arrangements for managing variable-priority flows in a network. Requests for transmission of digital content are received from client devices, each request being associated with a priority, the requests including at least one lower-priority delayable request and at least one higher-priority request. A usable bandwidth for delivery of the requested digital content through the network is estimated and, within the estimated usable bandwidth, there is controlled at least one flow associated with the at least one lower-priority request in the presence of at least one flow for the at least one higher-priority request. Other variants and embodiments are broadly contemplated herein.