A computer-implemented method for providing alternative content in audio-video streams, said method comprising: generating a primary manifest data structure including data reflective of a plurality of content segments of an audio-video stream, the plurality of content segments including content available for access and subsequent playback at a client device, the primary manifest data structure including at least one manifest file that includes metadata descriptive of the audio-video stream; sending, to the client device, the primary manifest data structure; upon receiving a request from the client device to view alternative content during streaming of at least one of the plurality of content segments of the audio-video stream, obtaining at least one alternative content indicator from a stream analyzer that processes the audio-video stream, each alternative content indicator corresponding to and indicating one of said plurality of content segments as being an alternative content segment of one or more alternative content segments, wherein the one or more alternative content segments are a subset of said plurality of content segments, wherein the one or more of alternative content segments comprise highlights of the audio-video stream; generating an alternative content manifest data structure by modifying said primary manifest data structure to remove data reflective of those of said plurality of content segments from the primary manifest data structure that are not indicated by said one of said alternative content indicators as being an alternative content segment; and sending said alternative content manifest data structure to the client device such that the client device initiates streaming of at least one of the subset of the plurality of content segments which contain alternative content contained in the unmodified primary manifest data structure and retained in the alternative content manifest data structure. generating a primary manifest data structure including data reflective of a plurality of content segments of an audio-video stream, the plurality of content segments including content available for access and subsequent playback at a client device, the primary manifest data structure including at least one manifest file that includes metadata descriptive of the audio-video stream; sending, to the client device, the primary manifest data structure; upon receiving a request from the client device to view alternative content during streaming of at least one of the plurality of content segments of the audio-video stream, obtaining at least one alternative content indicator from a stream analyzer that processes the audio-video stream, each alternative content indicator corresponding to and indicating one of said plurality of content segments as being an alternative content segment of one or more alternative content segments, wherein the one or more alternative content segments are a subset of said plurality of content segments, wherein the one or more of alternative content segments comprise highlights of the audio-video stream; generating an alternative content manifest data structure by modifying said primary manifest data structure to remove data reflective of those of said plurality of content segments from the primary manifest data structure that are not indicated by said one of said alternative content indicators as being an alternative content segment; and sending said alternative content manifest data structure to the client device such that the client device initiates streaming of at least one of the subset of the plurality of content segments which contain alternative content contained in the unmodified primary manifest data structure and retained in the alternative content manifest data structure. <EOS>