Media channel navigation user interface systems and methods

A method comprising:

• accessing, by a media content access system, a media channel;
• providing, by the media content access system for display on a display screen, a presentation of media content distributed on the accessed media channel;
• and
• providing, by the media content access system for concurrent display with the presentation of the media content on the display screen, a media channel navigation user interface pane that includes a menu of media channel navigation tools comprising
• a recent-channel navigation tool selectable by a user to launch, in the media channel navigation user interface pane, a recency-based menu including a recency-based combination set of media channels and media programs currently being distributed, the recency-based combination set of media channels and media programs selected for inclusion in the recency-based menu based on recency of access prior to the launch of the recency-based menu, and
• a similar-channel navigation tool selectable by the user to launch, in the media channel navigation user interface pane, a similarity-based menu including a similarity-based combination set of media channels and media programs currently being distributed, the similarity-based combination set of media channels and media programs comprising one or more media channels and one or more media programs, the one or more media channels each selected for inclusion in the similarity-based menu based on at least one attribute shared with the accessed media channel and based on a set of predefined similarity-based channel selection factors, and the one or more media programs each selected for inclusion in the similarity-based menu based on at least one attribute shared with media content being distributed on the accessed media channel.

A system comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to:
• detect, while media content distributed on a media channel is being presented for display on a display screen, a user request to launch a media channel navigation user interface;
• select, based on a set of predefined similarity-based channel selection factors, a plurality of other media channels each characterized by sharing an attribute of the media channel;
• select a media program characterized by sharing an attribute of the media content that is distributed on the media channel;
• and
• provide, in response to the detected user request and for concurrent display with the presentation of the media content on the display screen, a media channel navigation user interface pane comprising a set of media channel navigation tools that include
• a first media channel navigation tool selectable by a user to launch a similarity-based menu of media options in the media channel navigation user interface pane, the media options in the similarity-based menu of media options including a similarity-based combination set of media channels and media programs currently being distributed, the similarity-based combination set of media channels and media programs comprising the selected plurality of other media channels and the selected media program, and
• a second media channel navigation tool selectable by the user to launch a recency-based menu of media options in the media channel navigation user interface pane, the media options in the recency-based menu of media options including a recency-based combination set of media channels and media programs selected based on recency of access prior to a launch of the recency-based menu.