diff --git a/api/video/youtube.py b/api/video/youtube.py
index 2a26c15a..ecf12fe6 100644
--- a/api/video/youtube.py
+++ b/api/video/youtube.py
@@ -131,6 +131,11 @@ def register_routes(bp):
             if not playlist or not playlist.get("playlist_id"):
                 return jsonify({"success": False, "error": "Could not resolve playlist"}), 404
             ok = db.add_playlist_to_watchlist(playlist)
+            if ok and playlist.get("videos"):   # remember the count straight away
+                try:
+                    db.cache_channel_videos(playlist["playlist_id"], playlist["videos"])
+                except Exception:
+                    pass
             return jsonify({"success": ok, "following": ok,
                             "playlist": {k: playlist.get(k) for k in ("playlist_id", "title", "thumbnail_url")}})
         except Exception:
@@ -385,6 +390,10 @@ def register_routes(bp):
                 v["wished"] = v.get("youtube_id") in wished
                 if not v.get("published_at") and dates.get(v.get("youtube_id")):
                     v["published_at"] = dates[v["youtube_id"]]
+            try:
+                db.cache_channel_videos(playlist_id, vids)   # remember the count for the watchlist card
+            except Exception:
+                pass
             return jsonify({"success": True, "videos": vids, "playlist": pl,
                             "following": bool(db.playlist_watch_state([pl["playlist_id"]])),
                             "kind": "playlist", "source": "youtube"})
diff --git a/database/video_database.py b/database/video_database.py
index 79294083..dd4f1ad4 100644
--- a/database/video_database.py
+++ b/database/video_database.py
@@ -1846,18 +1846,21 @@ class VideoDatabase:
             conn.close()
 
     def list_watchlist_channels(self) -> list[dict]:
-        """Followed channels (newest first), each with a wished-video count for the card."""
+        """Followed channels (newest first): ``video_count`` is the REMEMBERED catalog
+        size (from the cache, fills in as the channel is enriched/opened), plus how
+        many of its videos are wished."""
         conn = self._get_connection()
         try:
             rows = conn.execute(
                 "SELECT w.title, w.poster_url, w.source_id, w.date_added, "
+                "(SELECT COUNT(*) FROM youtube_channel_videos cv WHERE cv.channel_id = w.source_id) AS video_count, "
                 "(SELECT COUNT(*) FROM video_wishlist v WHERE v.kind='video' "
-                " AND v.parent_source_id = w.source_id) AS video_count "
+                " AND v.parent_source_id = w.source_id) AS wished_count "
                 "FROM video_watchlist w WHERE w.kind='channel' AND w.state='follow' "
                 "ORDER BY w.date_added DESC, w.id DESC").fetchall()
             return [{"kind": "channel", "youtube_id": r["source_id"], "title": r["title"],
                      "poster_url": r["poster_url"], "video_count": r["video_count"],
-                     "date_added": r["date_added"]} for r in rows]
+                     "wished_count": r["wished_count"], "date_added": r["date_added"]} for r in rows]
         finally:
             conn.close()
 
@@ -1918,14 +1921,18 @@ class VideoDatabase:
             conn.close()
 
     def list_watchlist_playlists(self) -> list[dict]:
-        """Followed playlists (newest first)."""
+        """Followed playlists (newest first), each with its remembered video count
+        (cached when the playlist is followed/opened)."""
         conn = self._get_connection()
         try:
             rows = conn.execute(
-                "SELECT title, poster_url, source_id, date_added FROM video_watchlist "
-                "WHERE kind='playlist' AND state='follow' ORDER BY date_added DESC, id DESC").fetchall()
+                "SELECT w.title, w.poster_url, w.source_id, w.date_added, "
+                "(SELECT COUNT(*) FROM youtube_channel_videos cv WHERE cv.channel_id = w.source_id) AS video_count "
+                "FROM video_watchlist w WHERE w.kind='playlist' AND w.state='follow' "
+                "ORDER BY w.date_added DESC, w.id DESC").fetchall()
             return [{"kind": "playlist", "playlist_id": r["source_id"], "title": r["title"],
-                     "poster_url": r["poster_url"], "date_added": r["date_added"]} for r in rows]
+                     "poster_url": r["poster_url"], "video_count": r["video_count"],
+                     "date_added": r["date_added"]} for r in rows]
         finally:
             conn.close()
 
diff --git a/tests/test_video_api.py b/tests/test_video_api.py
index c1f418ef..ba39aafd 100644
--- a/tests/test_video_api.py
+++ b/tests/test_video_api.py
@@ -564,10 +564,12 @@ def test_youtube_follow_then_channels_and_wishlist(tmp_path):
     assert data["added_videos"] == 2
     assert data["counts"] == {"channel": 1, "video": 2}
 
-    # appears on the watchlist channels list with a video count
+    # appears on the watchlist channels list: wished_count = the 2 wished videos,
+    # video_count = the remembered catalog (0 here — nothing cached in this test).
     chans = client.get("/api/video/youtube/channels").get_json()
     assert chans["channels"][0]["youtube_id"] == "UCPlay"
-    assert chans["channels"][0]["video_count"] == 2
+    assert chans["channels"][0]["wished_count"] == 2
+    assert chans["channels"][0]["video_count"] == 0
 
     # appears in the youtube wishlist as a nebula channel (year=season, video=episode)
     wl = client.get("/api/video/youtube/wishlist").get_json()
diff --git a/tests/test_video_database.py b/tests/test_video_database.py
index 4877dada..9478682e 100644
--- a/tests/test_video_database.py
+++ b/tests/test_video_database.py
@@ -1105,7 +1105,8 @@ def test_youtube_rows_do_not_disturb_tmdb_counts(db):
     assert db.watchlist_counts() == {"show": 1, "person": 0, "total": 1}
     # youtube counts live on their own surface
     assert db.youtube_wishlist_counts() == {"channel": 1, "video": 1}
-    assert db.list_watchlist_channels()[0]["video_count"] == 1
+    assert db.list_watchlist_channels()[0]["wished_count"] == 1   # 1 wished video
+    assert db.list_watchlist_channels()[0]["video_count"] == 0    # remembered catalog (nothing cached)
 
 
 def test_upgrade_from_pre_source_schema(tmp_path):
diff --git a/webui/static/video/video-watchlist.js b/webui/static/video/video-watchlist.js
index 44207c1b..3e7ac55d 100644
--- a/webui/static/video/video-watchlist.js
+++ b/webui/static/video/video-watchlist.js
@@ -20,14 +20,14 @@
     // (like any show/movie); the ✕ unfollows.
     function channelCard(ch) {
         var av = window.VideoYoutube ? VideoYoutube.avatar(ch, 'vyt-wcard-avatar') : '';
-        var n = ch.video_count || 0;
+        var n = ch.video_count || 0;   // remembered catalog size (fills in as enriched)
+        var meta = n > 0 ? (n + ' video' + (n === 1 ? '' : 's')) : 'Channel';
         return '<div class="vyt-wcard" data-vyt-open-channel="' + esc(ch.youtube_id) + '" title="Open channel">' +
             '<div class="vyt-wcard-art">' + av + '</div>' +
             '<button class="vyt-wcard-unfollow" type="button" data-vyt-wunfollow="' + esc(ch.youtube_id) +
                 '" title="Unfollow">&#10005;</button>' +
             '<div class="vyt-wcard-info"><span class="vyt-wcard-title" title="' + esc(ch.title) + '">' +
-                esc(ch.title) + '</span><span class="vyt-wcard-meta">' + n + ' video' + (n === 1 ? '' : 's') +
-            '</span></div></div>';
+                esc(ch.title) + '</span><span class="vyt-wcard-meta">' + esc(meta) + '</span></div></div>';
     }
 
     // Followed playlists sit beside channels in the same grid; the ✕ unfollows.
@@ -39,7 +39,9 @@
             '<button class="vyt-wcard-unfollow" type="button" data-vyt-wunfollow-playlist="' + esc(pl.playlist_id) +
                 '" title="Unfollow">&#10005;</button>' +
             '<div class="vyt-wcard-info"><span class="vyt-wcard-title" title="' + esc(pl.title) + '">' +
-                esc(pl.title) + '</span><span class="vyt-wcard-meta">Playlist</span></div></div>';
+                esc(pl.title) + '</span><span class="vyt-wcard-meta">' +
+                (pl.video_count > 0 ? esc(pl.video_count + ' video' + (pl.video_count === 1 ? '' : 's')) : 'Playlist') +
+            '</span></div></div>';
     }
 
     function $(s, r) { return (r || document).querySelector(s); }
diff --git a/webui/static/video/video-youtube.js b/webui/static/video/video-youtube.js
index e1045a1b..c604b479 100644
--- a/webui/static/video/video-youtube.js
+++ b/webui/static/video/video-youtube.js
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@
     function followPlaylist(pl) {
         var p = pl || {};
         return post('/api/video/youtube/playlist/follow', { playlist: {
-            playlist_id: p.playlist_id, title: p.title, thumbnail_url: p.thumbnail_url } });
+            playlist_id: p.playlist_id, title: p.title, thumbnail_url: p.thumbnail_url, videos: p.videos } });
     }
     function unfollowPlaylist(playlistId) {
         return post('/api/video/youtube/playlist/unfollow', { playlist_id: playlistId });