diff --git a/libs/portal/xtream/feature/src/lib/portal-channels-list/portal-channels-list.component.html b/libs/portal/xtream/feature/src/lib/portal-channels-list/portal-channels-list.component.html
index 17cf69250..57166dd1e 100644
--- a/libs/portal/xtream/feature/src/lib/portal-channels-list/portal-channels-list.component.html
+++ b/libs/portal/xtream/feature/src/lib/portal-channels-list/portal-channels-list.component.html
@@ -1,5 +1,23 @@
 <div class="channels-list">
-    @if (filteredChannels().length > 0) {
+    @if (isSelectedTypeContentLoading()) {
+        <div class="channels-loading-state" aria-live="polite">
+            <div class="channels-loading-state__copy">
+                <div class="channels-loading-state__title">
+                    {{ 'CHANNELS.LOADING' | translate }}
+                </div>
+            </div>
+
+            <div class="channels-loading-state__list" aria-hidden="true">
+                @for (row of loadingRows; track row) {
+                    <div class="channel-skeleton">
+                        <span class="channel-skeleton__logo"></span>
+                        <span class="channel-skeleton__title"></span>
+                        <span class="channel-skeleton__meta"></span>
+                    </div>
+                }
+            </div>
+        </div>
+    } @else if (filteredChannels().length > 0) {
         <cdk-virtual-scroll-viewport
             [itemSize]="68"
             class="scroll-viewport-portals"
diff --git a/libs/portal/xtream/feature/src/lib/portal-channels-list/portal-channels-list.component.scss b/libs/portal/xtream/feature/src/lib/portal-channels-list/portal-channels-list.component.scss
index 4c0a4ab5a..46aa52af1 100644
--- a/libs/portal/xtream/feature/src/lib/portal-channels-list/portal-channels-list.component.scss
+++ b/libs/portal/xtream/feature/src/lib/portal-channels-list/portal-channels-list.component.scss
@@ -142,6 +142,102 @@
     }
 }
 
+.channels-loading-state {
+    display: grid;
+    gap: 14px;
+    height: 100%;
+    padding: 16px 12px 18px;
+}
+
+.channels-loading-state__copy {
+    padding: 0 4px;
+}
+
+.channels-loading-state__title {
+    font-size: 0.86rem;
+    font-weight: 600;
+    letter-spacing: -0.01em;
+    color: var(--mat-sys-on-surface);
+}
+
+.channels-loading-state__list {
+    display: grid;
+    gap: 8px;
+    overflow: hidden;
+}
+
+.channel-skeleton {
+    display: grid;
+    grid-template-columns: 44px minmax(0, 1fr);
+    grid-template-rows: 14px 10px;
+    align-items: center;
+    gap: 8px 12px;
+    min-height: 68px;
+    padding: 10px 12px;
+    border-radius: 14px;
+    background: color-mix(
+        in srgb,
+        var(--app-widget-header-bg, var(--mat-sys-surface-container-high)) 88%,
+        var(--app-widget-bg, var(--mat-sys-surface-container)) 12%
+    );
+    border: 1px solid
+        color-mix(
+            in srgb,
+            var(--app-widget-header-border, var(--mat-sys-outline-variant)) 96%,
+            transparent
+        );
+}
+
+.channel-skeleton__logo,
+.channel-skeleton__title,
+.channel-skeleton__meta {
+    position: relative;
+    overflow: hidden;
+    background: color-mix(
+        in srgb,
+        var(--app-widget-header-bg, var(--mat-sys-surface-container-high)) 52%,
+        var(--app-body-color, var(--mat-sys-on-surface-variant)) 48%
+    );
+
+    &::after {
+        content: '';
+        position: absolute;
+        inset: 0;
+        background: linear-gradient(
+            100deg,
+            transparent 8%,
+            color-mix(
+                    in srgb,
+                    var(--app-heading-color, var(--mat-sys-on-surface)) 18%,
+                    transparent
+                )
+                44%,
+            transparent 74%
+        );
+        transform: translateX(-120%);
+        animation: channel-skeleton-shimmer 1.15s ease-in-out infinite;
+    }
+}
+
+.channel-skeleton__logo {
+    grid-row: 1 / span 2;
+    width: 44px;
+    height: 44px;
+    border-radius: 12px;
+}
+
+.channel-skeleton__title {
+    height: 11px;
+    width: min(68%, 180px);
+    border-radius: 999px;
+}
+
+.channel-skeleton__meta {
+    height: 9px;
+    width: min(42%, 120px);
+    border-radius: 999px;
+}
+
 @container (max-width: 350px) {
     .scroll-viewport-portals {
         padding-inline: 6px;
@@ -159,3 +255,9 @@
         transform: translateY(0);
     }
 }
+
+@keyframes channel-skeleton-shimmer {
+    100% {
+        transform: translateX(120%);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/libs/portal/xtream/feature/src/lib/portal-channels-list/portal-channels-list.component.spec.ts b/libs/portal/xtream/feature/src/lib/portal-channels-list/portal-channels-list.component.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..04f80b1cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libs/portal/xtream/feature/src/lib/portal-channels-list/portal-channels-list.component.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,129 @@
+import { signal } from '@angular/core';
+import { ComponentFixture, TestBed } from '@angular/core/testing';
+import { NoopAnimationsModule } from '@angular/platform-browser/animations';
+import { ActivatedRoute } from '@angular/router';
+import { TranslateService } from '@ngx-translate/core';
+import { of, Subject } from 'rxjs';
+import {
+    EpgQueueService,
+    FavoritesService,
+    XtreamStore,
+} from '@iptvnator/portal/xtream/data-access';
+import { PortalChannelsListComponent } from './portal-channels-list.component';
+
+describe('PortalChannelsListComponent', () => {
+    let fixture: ComponentFixture<PortalChannelsListComponent>;
+    const selectedChannels = signal<unknown[]>([]);
+    const selectedItem = signal<unknown>(null);
+    const epgItems = signal<unknown[]>([]);
+    const selectedTypeContentLoading = signal(true);
+    const selectedContentType = signal('live');
+    const currentPlaylist = signal<unknown>(null);
+    const selectedCategoryId = signal<number | null>(1);
+    const storeSignals = {
+        selectItemsFromSelectedCategory: selectedChannels,
+        selectedItem,
+        epgItems,
+        selectedTypeContentLoading,
+        selectedContentType,
+        currentPlaylist,
+        selectedCategoryId,
+        setSelectedCategory: jest.fn(),
+    };
+    const epgResults$ = new Subject<{ streamId: number; items: unknown[] }>();
+
+    beforeEach(async () => {
+        storeSignals.setSelectedCategory.mockClear();
+        selectedChannels.set([]);
+        selectedItem.set(null);
+        epgItems.set([]);
+        selectedTypeContentLoading.set(true);
+        selectedContentType.set('live');
+        currentPlaylist.set(null);
+        selectedCategoryId.set(1);
+
+        await TestBed.configureTestingModule({
+            imports: [PortalChannelsListComponent, NoopAnimationsModule],
+            providers: [
+                {
+                    provide: TranslateService,
+                    useValue: {
+                        instant: (key: string) =>
+                            key === 'CHANNELS.LOADING'
+                                ? 'Loading channels...'
+                                : key,
+                        get: (key: string) =>
+                            of(
+                                key === 'CHANNELS.LOADING'
+                                    ? 'Loading channels...'
+                                    : key
+                            ),
+                        stream: (key: string) =>
+                            of(
+                                key === 'CHANNELS.LOADING'
+                                    ? 'Loading channels...'
+                                    : key
+                            ),
+                        onLangChange: of(null),
+                        onTranslationChange: of(null),
+                        onDefaultLangChange: of(null),
+                        currentLang: 'en',
+                        defaultLang: 'en',
+                    },
+                },
+                {
+                    provide: XtreamStore,
+                    useValue: storeSignals,
+                },
+                {
+                    provide: FavoritesService,
+                    useValue: {
+                        getFavorites: jest.fn().mockReturnValue(of([])),
+                    },
+                },
+                {
+                    provide: EpgQueueService,
+                    useValue: {
+                        epgResult$: epgResults$,
+                        getCached: jest.fn().mockReturnValue(null),
+                        enqueue: jest.fn(),
+                    },
+                },
+                {
+                    provide: ActivatedRoute,
+                    useValue: {
+                        snapshot: {
+                            params: {},
+                        },
+                    },
+                },
+            ],
+        }).compileComponents();
+
+        fixture = TestBed.createComponent(PortalChannelsListComponent);
+    });
+
+    it('renders a loading placeholder instead of the empty state while xtream live content is still loading', () => {
+        fixture.detectChanges();
+
+        expect(
+            fixture.nativeElement.querySelector('.channels-loading-state')
+        ).not.toBeNull();
+        expect(
+            fixture.nativeElement.querySelector('.empty-search-state')
+        ).toBeNull();
+    });
+
+    it('renders the empty state once loading has finished and the selected category has no channels', () => {
+        selectedTypeContentLoading.set(false);
+
+        fixture.detectChanges();
+
+        expect(
+            fixture.nativeElement.querySelector('.channels-loading-state')
+        ).toBeNull();
+        expect(
+            fixture.nativeElement.querySelector('.empty-search-state')
+        ).not.toBeNull();
+    });
+});
diff --git a/libs/portal/xtream/feature/src/lib/portal-channels-list/portal-channels-list.component.ts b/libs/portal/xtream/feature/src/lib/portal-channels-list/portal-channels-list.component.ts
index 570d367c5..e3386a1af 100644
--- a/libs/portal/xtream/feature/src/lib/portal-channels-list/portal-channels-list.component.ts
+++ b/libs/portal/xtream/feature/src/lib/portal-channels-list/portal-channels-list.component.ts
@@ -69,6 +69,9 @@ export class PortalChannelsListComponent implements AfterViewInit, OnDestroy {
     private readonly favoritesService = inject(FavoritesService);
     private readonly epgQueueService = inject(EpgQueueService);
     private readonly route = inject(ActivatedRoute);
+    readonly isSelectedTypeContentLoading =
+        this.xtreamStore.selectedTypeContentLoading;
+    readonly loadingRows = Array.from({ length: 9 }, (_, index) => index);
     readonly channels = computed(() => {
         const override = this.channelsOverride();
         if (Array.isArray(override)) {
@@ -261,11 +264,13 @@ export class PortalChannelsListComponent implements AfterViewInit, OnDestroy {
 
     toggleFavorite(event: Event, item: XtreamChannelListItem) {
         event.stopPropagation();
+        const playlistId = this.xtreamStore.currentPlaylist()?.id;
+        if (!playlistId) {
+            return;
+        }
+
         this.xtreamStore
-            .toggleFavorite(
-                item.xtream_id,
-                this.xtreamStore.currentPlaylist().id
-            )
+            .toggleFavorite(item.xtream_id, playlistId)
             .then((result: boolean) => {
                 if (result) {
                     this.favorites.set(item.xtream_id, true);