diff --git a/backend/database.py b/backend/database.py
index 51c132a..da0a373 100644
--- a/backend/database.py
+++ b/backend/database.py
@@ -89,6 +89,18 @@ def init_db():
         _add_column_if_missing(raw_conn, "videos", "like_count", "INTEGER")
         _add_column_if_missing(raw_conn, "videos", "dislike_count", "INTEGER")
         raw_conn.commit()
+        # Indexes that make the channel-stats CTE query fast with many channels
+        for idx_sql in [
+            "CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_videos_channel_published ON videos(channel_id, published_at DESC)",
+            "CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_videos_channel_indexed ON videos(channel_id, indexed_at)",
+            "CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_user_videos_video_user ON user_videos(video_id, user_id)",
+            "CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_user_channels_user_status ON user_channels(user_id, status)",
+        ]:
+            try:
+                raw_conn.execute(idx_sql)
+            except Exception:
+                pass
+        raw_conn.commit()
         # executescript handles multi-statement SQL including trigger BEGIN...END blocks
         raw_conn.executescript(FTS_SETUP_SQL)
     finally:
diff --git a/backend/routers/channels.py b/backend/routers/channels.py
index 4364814..261f0bb 100644
--- a/backend/routers/channels.py
+++ b/backend/routers/channels.py
@@ -67,31 +67,48 @@ class VideoOut(BaseModel):
 
 
 _CHANNEL_STATS_SELECT = """
-    SELECT c.*, uc.status, uc.auto_download, uc.muted_until, uc.notes,
-           (SELECT COUNT(*) FROM videos WHERE channel_id = c.id) AS video_count,
-           (SELECT MAX(v.published_at) FROM videos v WHERE v.channel_id = c.id) AS last_published_at,
-           (SELECT COUNT(*) FROM videos v
-            LEFT JOIN user_videos uv ON v.id = uv.video_id AND uv.user_id = :user_id
-            WHERE v.channel_id = c.id AND COALESCE(uv.watched, 0) = 0) AS unwatched_count,
-           (SELECT COUNT(*) FROM videos v
-            JOIN user_videos uv ON v.id = uv.video_id AND uv.user_id = :user_id
-            WHERE v.channel_id = c.id AND uv.watched = 1) AS watched_count,
-           (SELECT COUNT(*) FROM videos v
-            JOIN user_videos uv ON v.id = uv.video_id AND uv.user_id = :user_id
-            WHERE v.channel_id = c.id AND uv.downloaded = 1) AS downloaded_count,
-           (SELECT COUNT(*) FROM videos v
-            WHERE v.channel_id = c.id
-            AND (uc.last_seen_at IS NULL OR v.indexed_at > uc.last_seen_at)) AS new_count,
-           (SELECT v.youtube_video_id FROM videos v
-            WHERE v.channel_id = c.id ORDER BY v.published_at DESC LIMIT 1) AS latest_video_id,
-           (SELECT v.title FROM videos v
-            WHERE v.channel_id = c.id ORDER BY v.published_at DESC LIMIT 1) AS latest_video_title,
-           (SELECT
-                CASE WHEN COUNT(*) < 2 THEN NULL
-                ELSE CAST((julianday(MAX(sub.published_at)) - julianday(MIN(sub.published_at))) AS REAL) / (COUNT(*) - 1)
-                END
-            FROM (SELECT published_at FROM videos WHERE channel_id = c.id AND published_at IS NOT NULL ORDER BY published_at DESC LIMIT 15) sub
-           ) AS upload_frequency_days
+    WITH followed AS (
+        SELECT channel_id, last_seen_at
+        FROM user_channels
+        WHERE user_id = :user_id AND status = 'followed'
+    ),
+    vinfo AS (
+        SELECT
+            v.channel_id,
+            COUNT(*)                                                           AS video_count,
+            MIN(v.published_at)                                                AS oldest_published,
+            MAX(v.published_at)                                                AS last_published_at,
+            SUM(CASE WHEN COALESCE(uv.watched,   0) = 0 THEN 1 ELSE 0 END)   AS unwatched_count,
+            SUM(CASE WHEN uv.watched    = 1          THEN 1 ELSE 0 END)       AS watched_count,
+            SUM(CASE WHEN uv.downloaded = 1          THEN 1 ELSE 0 END)       AS downloaded_count
+        FROM videos v
+        JOIN followed f ON f.channel_id = v.channel_id
+        LEFT JOIN user_videos uv ON uv.video_id = v.id AND uv.user_id = :user_id
+        GROUP BY v.channel_id
+    ),
+    nc AS (
+        SELECT v.channel_id, COUNT(*) AS new_count
+        FROM videos v
+        JOIN followed f ON f.channel_id = v.channel_id
+        WHERE f.last_seen_at IS NULL OR v.indexed_at > f.last_seen_at
+        GROUP BY v.channel_id
+    )
+    SELECT
+        c.*, uc.status, uc.auto_download, uc.muted_until, uc.notes,
+        COALESCE(vi.video_count,      0) AS video_count,
+        vi.last_published_at,
+        COALESCE(vi.unwatched_count,  0) AS unwatched_count,
+        COALESCE(vi.watched_count,    0) AS watched_count,
+        COALESCE(vi.downloaded_count, 0) AS downloaded_count,
+        COALESCE(nc.new_count,        0) AS new_count,
+        CASE WHEN COALESCE(vi.video_count, 0) < 2 THEN NULL
+             ELSE (julianday(vi.last_published_at) - julianday(vi.oldest_published))
+                  / (vi.video_count - 1.0)
+        END AS upload_frequency_days,
+        (SELECT v2.youtube_video_id FROM videos v2
+         WHERE v2.channel_id = c.id ORDER BY v2.published_at DESC LIMIT 1) AS latest_video_id,
+        (SELECT v2.title FROM videos v2
+         WHERE v2.channel_id = c.id ORDER BY v2.published_at DESC LIMIT 1) AS latest_video_title
     FROM channels c
     JOIN user_channels uc ON c.id = uc.channel_id
     WHERE uc.user_id = :user_id AND uc.status = 'followed'