A method for bypassing a manifest file request in an adaptive bit rate system, the method comprising: receiving, in response to a selection for viewing by a user, a request for a first media asset related to a first channel; requesting a top-level manifest file associated with the first media asset from an adaptive bit rate server in a content delivery network; receiving a top-level manifest file identifying a second level manifest file for each of one or more available streams of the first media asset, each second level manifest file associated with a bit rate and identifying media segments for a respective stream; requesting a second level manifest file associated with a selected one of the first media asset streams from the adaptive bit rate server in the content delivery network; receiving a second level compound manifest file comprising a plurality of links to media segments, each link corresponding to a file location of a media segment of the selected first media asset stream, and a plurality of links corresponding to file locations of additional media segments of at least one second media asset related to a channel other than the first channel as pre-delivered second media asset links in order to enable direct access to said links; retrieving (2009a, 2010a) a media segment of the first media asset stream by downloading the media segment based on a corresponding file location identified in the second level compound manifest file; receiving, in response to a selection for viewing by the user, a request for the second media asset; and in response to receiving the request for the second media asset, retrieving a media segment of the second media asset stream by downloading the media segment based on a corresponding file location identified by a corresponding pre-delivered second media asset link in the second level compound manifest file associated with the selected one of the first media asset streams, thereby bypassing the manifest file request (2014, 2015) for the second media asset to begin retrieving the media segment of the second media asset stream. receiving, in response to a selection for viewing by a user, a request for a first media asset related to a first channel; requesting a top-level manifest file associated with the first media asset from an adaptive bit rate server in a content delivery network; receiving a top-level manifest file identifying a second level manifest file for each of one or more available streams of the first media asset, each second level manifest file associated with a bit rate and identifying media segments for a respective stream; requesting a second level manifest file associated with a selected one of the first media asset streams from the adaptive bit rate server in the content delivery network; receiving a second level compound manifest file comprising a plurality of links to media segments, each link corresponding to a file location of a media segment of the selected first media asset stream, and a plurality of links corresponding to file locations of additional media segments of at least one second media asset related to a channel other than the first channel as pre-delivered second media asset links in order to enable direct access to said links; retrieving (2009a, 2010a) a media segment of the first media asset stream by downloading the media segment based on a corresponding file location identified in the second level compound manifest file; receiving, in response to a selection for viewing by the user, a request for the second media asset; and in response to receiving the request for the second media asset, retrieving a media segment of the second media asset stream by downloading the media segment based on a corresponding file location identified by a corresponding pre-delivered second media asset link in the second level compound manifest file associated with the selected one of the first media asset streams, thereby bypassing the manifest file request (2014, 2015) for the second media asset to begin retrieving the media segment of the second media asset stream.