Methods, systems, and media for presenting media content in response to a channel change request

A system for presenting media content corresponding to a channel change request, the system comprising:

• a hardware processor that:
• retrieves thumbnail content items corresponding to content sources that have been identified as likely to be selected by a viewer, wherein each of the thumbnail content items includes an animation representing media content of a corresponding content source;
• receives a request to switch from a first content source to a second content source in which a selection of a thumbnail content item that corresponds with a media content item from the second content source has been received;
• in response to receiving the request to switch from the first content source to the second content source, causes the animation corresponding to the thumbnail content item to be presented in a display area by resizing the animation corresponding to the thumbnail content item from a first size to a second size corresponding to a size of media content being presented in the display area while concurrently processing media content corresponding to the second content source that includes decoding media data corresponding to the media content;
• and
• in response to determining that the decoded media data corresponding to the media content provided on the second content source is ready for presentation, replaces the animation corresponding to the thumbnail content items in the display area with the processed media content.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for presenting media content corresponding to a channel change request, the method comprising:

• retrieving thumbnail content items corresponding to content sources that have been identified as likely to be selected by a viewer, wherein each of the thumbnail content items includes an animation representing media content of a corresponding content source;
• receiving a request to switch from a first content source to a second content source in which a selection of a thumbnail content item that corresponds with a media content item from the second content source has been received;
• in response to receiving the request to switch from the first content source to the second content source, causing the animation corresponding to the thumbnail content item to be presented in a display area by resizing the animation corresponding to the thumbnail content item from a first size to a second size corresponding to a size of media content being presented in the display area while concurrently processing media content corresponding to the second content source that includes decoding media data corresponding to the media content;
• and
• in response to determining that the decoded media data corresponding to the media content provided on the second content source is ready for presentation, replacing the animation corresponding to the thumbnail content items in the display area with the processed media content.