diff --git a/app/(auth)/casting-player.tsx b/app/(auth)/casting-player.tsx
index 48c916532..28916a99c 100644
--- a/app/(auth)/casting-player.tsx
+++ b/app/(auth)/casting-player.tsx
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ import { ChromecastSettingsMenu } from "@/components/chromecast/ChromecastSettin
 import { useChromecastSegments } from "@/components/chromecast/hooks/useChromecastSegments";
 import { Text } from "@/components/common/Text";
 import { useCasting } from "@/hooks/useCasting";
+import { useCastPlayerItem } from "@/hooks/useCastPlayerItem";
 import { useCastSelection } from "@/hooks/useCastSelection";
 import { useTrickplay } from "@/hooks/useTrickplay";
 import { apiAtom, userAtom } from "@/providers/JellyfinProvider";
@@ -87,35 +88,12 @@ export default function CastingPlayerScreen() {
   // Last stable playback position (seconds), for resuming across reloads.
   const resumePositionRef = useRef(0);
 
-  // Fetch full item data from Jellyfin by ID
-  const [fetchedItem, setFetchedItem] = useState<BaseItemDto | null>(null);
-
-  useEffect(() => {
-    const controller = new AbortController();
-
-    const fetchItemData = async () => {
-      const itemId = mediaStatus?.mediaInfo?.contentId;
-      if (!itemId || !api || !user?.Id) return;
-
-      try {
-        const res = await getUserLibraryApi(api).getItem(
-          { itemId, userId: user.Id },
-          { signal: controller.signal },
-        );
-        if (!controller.signal.aborted) {
-          setFetchedItem(res.data);
-        }
-      } catch (error) {
-        if (error instanceof DOMException && error.name === "AbortError")
-          return;
-        console.error("[Casting Player] Failed to fetch item:", error);
-      }
-    };
-
-    fetchItemData();
-
-    return () => controller.abort();
-  }, [mediaStatus?.mediaInfo?.contentId, api, user?.Id]);
+  // Fetch full item data from Jellyfin by ID and derive the effective item
+  const { fetchedItem, currentItem } = useCastPlayerItem({
+    api,
+    user,
+    mediaStatus,
+  });
 
   useEffect(() => {
     // Sync refs whenever mediaStatus provides a new position
@@ -150,46 +128,6 @@ export default function CastingPlayerScreen() {
     }
   }, [mediaStatus?.streamPosition, mediaStatus?.playerState]);
 
-  // Extract item from customData, or use fetched item, or create a minimal fallback
-  const currentItem = useMemo(() => {
-    // Priority 1: Use fetched item from API (most reliable)
-    if (fetchedItem) {
-      return fetchedItem;
-    }
-
-    // Priority 2: Try customData from mediaStatus
-    const customData = mediaStatus?.mediaInfo?.customData as BaseItemDto | null;
-    if (
-      customData?.Type &&
-      (customData.ImageTags || customData.MediaSources || customData.Id)
-    ) {
-      // Use customData if it has a real Type AND meaningful metadata
-      // (rules out placeholder objects that lack image tags, media sources, or an ID)
-      return customData;
-    }
-
-    // Priority 3: Create minimal fallback while loading
-    if (mediaStatus?.mediaInfo) {
-      const { contentId, metadata } = mediaStatus.mediaInfo;
-      // Derive type from metadata if available, otherwise omit to avoid
-      // misrepresenting episodes as movies
-      let metadataType: string | undefined;
-      if (metadata?.type === "movie") {
-        metadataType = "Movie";
-      } else if (metadata?.type === "tvShow") {
-        metadataType = "Episode";
-      }
-      return {
-        Id: contentId,
-        Name: metadata?.title || "Unknown",
-        ...(metadataType ? { Type: metadataType } : {}),
-        ServerId: "",
-      } as BaseItemDto;
-    }
-
-    return null;
-  }, [fetchedItem, mediaStatus?.mediaInfo]);
-
   // Derive state from raw Chromecast hooks
   const progress = liveProgress; // Use live-updating progress
   const duration = mediaStatus?.mediaInfo?.streamDuration ?? 0;
diff --git a/hooks/useCastPlayerItem.ts b/hooks/useCastPlayerItem.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8f7c460a0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hooks/useCastPlayerItem.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+import type { Api } from "@jellyfin/sdk";
+import type { BaseItemDto, UserDto } from "@jellyfin/sdk/lib/generated-client";
+import { getUserLibraryApi } from "@jellyfin/sdk/lib/utils/api";
+import { useEffect, useMemo, useState } from "react";
+import type { MediaStatus } from "react-native-google-cast";
+
+interface UseCastPlayerItemParams {
+  api: Api | null;
+  user: UserDto | null;
+  mediaStatus: MediaStatus | null;
+}
+
+interface UseCastPlayerItemResult {
+  fetchedItem: BaseItemDto | null;
+  currentItem: BaseItemDto | null;
+}
+
+export function useCastPlayerItem({
+  api,
+  user,
+  mediaStatus,
+}: UseCastPlayerItemParams): UseCastPlayerItemResult {
+  // Fetch full item data from Jellyfin by ID
+  const [fetchedItem, setFetchedItem] = useState<BaseItemDto | null>(null);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const controller = new AbortController();
+
+    const fetchItemData = async () => {
+      const itemId = mediaStatus?.mediaInfo?.contentId;
+      if (!itemId || !api || !user?.Id) return;
+
+      try {
+        const res = await getUserLibraryApi(api).getItem(
+          { itemId, userId: user.Id },
+          { signal: controller.signal },
+        );
+        if (!controller.signal.aborted) {
+          setFetchedItem(res.data);
+        }
+      } catch (error) {
+        if (error instanceof DOMException && error.name === "AbortError")
+          return;
+        console.error("[Casting Player] Failed to fetch item:", error);
+      }
+    };
+
+    fetchItemData();
+
+    return () => controller.abort();
+  }, [mediaStatus?.mediaInfo?.contentId, api, user?.Id]);
+
+  // Extract item from customData, or use fetched item, or create a minimal fallback
+  const currentItem = useMemo(() => {
+    // Priority 1: Use fetched item from API (most reliable)
+    if (fetchedItem) {
+      return fetchedItem;
+    }
+
+    // Priority 2: Try customData from mediaStatus
+    const customData = mediaStatus?.mediaInfo?.customData as BaseItemDto | null;
+    if (
+      customData?.Type &&
+      (customData.ImageTags || customData.MediaSources || customData.Id)
+    ) {
+      // Use customData if it has a real Type AND meaningful metadata
+      // (rules out placeholder objects that lack image tags, media sources, or an ID)
+      return customData;
+    }
+
+    // Priority 3: Create minimal fallback while loading
+    if (mediaStatus?.mediaInfo) {
+      const { contentId, metadata } = mediaStatus.mediaInfo;
+      // Derive type from metadata if available, otherwise omit to avoid
+      // misrepresenting episodes as movies
+      let metadataType: string | undefined;
+      if (metadata?.type === "movie") {
+        metadataType = "Movie";
+      } else if (metadata?.type === "tvShow") {
+        metadataType = "Episode";
+      }
+      return {
+        Id: contentId,
+        Name: metadata?.title || "Unknown",
+        ...(metadataType ? { Type: metadataType } : {}),
+        ServerId: "",
+      } as BaseItemDto;
+    }
+
+    return null;
+  }, [fetchedItem, mediaStatus?.mediaInfo]);
+
+  return { fetchedItem, currentItem };
+}