Abstract: A system and method is directed to managing media access in a controlled media system. The method includes communicating usage reports that are based on usage information from local usage records associated with one or more user devices controlled by each local control unit to a system control unit from one or more local control units, update global usage records that associate device usage with one or more user accounts based on the usage reports, transmitting the updated global usage records to each local control unit, and updating the local usage records responsive to receipt of the updated global usage records and causing each local control unit to selectively enable and disable each user device based on the updated local usage records, and, when updated global usage records are not received causing each local control unit to selectively enable and disable each user device based on local usage records.