diff --git a/src/app/(protected)/api/stream/follow/route.ts b/src/app/(protected)/api/stream/follow/route.ts
index e3b322b..b787932 100644
--- a/src/app/(protected)/api/stream/follow/route.ts
+++ b/src/app/(protected)/api/stream/follow/route.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,32 @@ import { validateRequest } from '@/lib/auth';
 import prisma from '@/lib/db';
 import { NextRequest } from 'next/server';
 
+export async function GET(request: NextRequest) {
+  const { user } = await validateRequest();
+  const searchParams = new URL(request.url).searchParams;
+  const username = searchParams.get('username');
+  if (!user) {
+    return new Response('Unauthorized', { status: 401 });
+  }
+  if (!username) {
+    return new Response('Bad Request', { status: 400 });
+  }
+
+  const isFollowing =
+    (await prisma.follow.count({
+      where: {
+        channel: {
+          name: username,
+        },
+        user: {
+          id: user.id,
+        },
+      },
+    })) > 0;
+
+  return new Response(JSON.stringify({ following: isFollowing }), { status: 200 });
+}
+
 export async function POST(request: NextRequest) {
   const { user } = await validateRequest();
   const searchParams = new URL(request.url).searchParams;
diff --git a/src/app/(protected)/api/stream/followers/[channel]/route.ts b/src/app/(protected)/api/stream/followers/[channel]/route.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d360690
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/app/(protected)/api/stream/followers/[channel]/route.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+import { NextRequest, NextResponse } from 'next/server';
+import db from '@/lib/db';
+import { resolveChannelNameId } from '@/lib/db/resolve';
+
+export async function GET(
+  request: NextRequest,
+  { params }: { params: Promise<{ channel: string }> }
+) {
+  try {
+    const { channel } = await params;
+
+    if (!channel) {
+      return NextResponse.json({ error: 'channel ID is required' }, { status: 400 });
+    }
+
+    const channelId = await resolveChannelNameId(channel);
+
+    const count = await db.follow.count({
+      where: {
+        channelId,
+      },
+    });
+
+    return NextResponse.json({
+      count,
+      success: true,
+    });
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.error('Error fetching followers count:', error);
+    return NextResponse.json({ error: 'Failed to fetch followers count' }, { status: 500 });
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/components/app/UserInfoCard/UserInfoCard.tsx b/src/components/app/UserInfoCard/UserInfoCard.tsx
index 08a1342..09c21d8 100644
--- a/src/components/app/UserInfoCard/UserInfoCard.tsx
+++ b/src/components/app/UserInfoCard/UserInfoCard.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button';
-import { Avatar, AvatarFallback, AvatarImage } from '@/components/ui/avatar';
+import { Avatar, AvatarImage } from '@/components/ui/avatar';
 import type { StreamInfo, User } from '@prisma/client';
 import FollowButton from './follow';
+import FollowCountText from './followCount';
 
 export default function UserInfoCard(props: Props) {
   return (
@@ -14,9 +14,10 @@ export default function UserInfoCard(props: Props) {
           <div>
             <h1 className="text-2xl font-bold">{props.streamInfo.title}</h1>
             <p>{props.streamInfo.username}</p>
+            <FollowCountText channel={props.streamInfo.username} />
           </div>
         </div>
-        <FollowButton channel={props.streamInfo.username} isFollowing />
+        <FollowButton channel={props.streamInfo.username} />
       </div>
       <p className="mb-4">markdown description here</p>
       {/* <div className="flex items-center space-x-4 text-gray-400">
diff --git a/src/components/app/UserInfoCard/follow.tsx b/src/components/app/UserInfoCard/follow.tsx
index 9c6213f..629b291 100644
--- a/src/components/app/UserInfoCard/follow.tsx
+++ b/src/components/app/UserInfoCard/follow.tsx
@@ -4,13 +4,27 @@ import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button';
 import { fetcher } from '@/lib/services/swr';
 import { Heart, HeartCrack } from 'lucide-react';
 import { useHover } from '@uidotdev/usehooks';
-import useSWR from 'swr/mutation';
+import useSWR from 'swr';
+import mutatedUseSWR from 'swr/mutation';
 import React from 'react';
 
 export default function FollowButton(props: Props) {
   const [ref, isHovering] = useHover();
-  const [following, setFollowing] = React.useState(props.isFollowing);
-  const { trigger, data, isMutating } = useSWR(
+  // const [following, setFollowing] = React.useState(props.isFollowing);
+  // make a get request to check if the user is following the channel and set it as the initial state. use swr to make the request
+  const { data: followingData, isLoading: isLoadingFollowing } = useSWR(
+    `/api/stream/follow?username=${props.channel}`, 
+    async (url) => fetcher(url)
+  );
+  const [following, setFollowing] = React.useState(false);
+
+  React.useEffect(() => {
+    if (followingData) {
+      setFollowing(followingData.following);
+    }
+  }, [followingData]);
+
+  const { trigger, data, isMutating } = mutatedUseSWR(
     `/api/stream/follow?username=${props.channel}`,
     async (url) => fetcher(url, { method: 'POST' })
   );
@@ -25,7 +39,7 @@ export default function FollowButton(props: Props) {
     <Button
       size={'icon'}
       onClick={() => trigger()}
-      disabled={isMutating}
+      disabled={isMutating || isLoadingFollowing}
       ref={ref}
       variant={following ? 'destructive' : 'default'}
     >
@@ -36,5 +50,4 @@ export default function FollowButton(props: Props) {
 
 interface Props {
   channel: string;
-  isFollowing: boolean;
 }
diff --git a/src/components/app/UserInfoCard/followCount.tsx b/src/components/app/UserInfoCard/followCount.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..faabc31
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/app/UserInfoCard/followCount.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+'use client';
+
+import { fetcher } from '@/lib/services/swr';
+import useSWR from 'swr';
+
+
+// TODO: rerender the component when the user follows/unfollows the channel
+export default function FollowCountText({ channel }: { channel: string }) {
+  const { data, error, isLoading } = useSWR(
+    `/api/stream/followers/${channel}`,
+    fetcher
+  );
+
+  if (isLoading || !data) {
+    return <p className="text-sm italic text-muted-foreground">Loading followers...</p>;
+  }
+  if (error) {
+    return <p className="text-sm italic text-muted-foreground">Failed to load followers</p>;
+  }
+
+  return (
+    <p className="text-sm text-muted-foreground">
+      {data.count} follower{data.count === 1 ? '' : 's'}
+    </p>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/src/lib/db/resolve.ts b/src/lib/db/resolve.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..87b6add
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/db/resolve.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+'use server'
+import db from '@/lib/db';
+
+export async function resolveChannelNameId(channelName: string) {
+  const channel = await db.channel.findUnique({
+    where: {
+      name: channelName,
+    },
+  });
+
+  if (!channel) {
+    return '';
+  }
+
+  return channel.id;
+}
\ No newline at end of file