A new way to enjoy Freely on ANY TV is coming, and it’s coming very soon

I’ve been a fan of Freely since I first saw it in action in February 2024, and the IPTV service has gone from strength to strength since then. However, there are currently only two ways to enjoy its many charms: fork out for a new TV that supports it or buy the Netgem PLEIO puck.

That’s about to change thanks to the announcement of the Manhattan Aero 4K TV Streamer with Freely, which will be available for £70 from retailers such as Amazon, John Lewis and Currys when it arrives this February. 

The compact streaming box connects to your broadband over Wi-Fi, which is all you need to take advantage of Freely; you can forget all about an aerial or satellite dish. It runs the TiVo smart operating system found on TVs like the Philips OLED760 and Bush UT24SB, enabling you to access various other streaming platforms too, including Netflix, Disney+ and Prime Video.

In addition to those services, which you’ll need a paid subscription to, TiVo has over 400 free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels and an extensive catalogue of free on-demand films and TV shows. It supports voice commands via TiVo Voice, too, and, having used these in the past, I can say they’re very useful.

Freely’s offering isn’t quite as large, but more than 60 live TV channels – a full list of which can be found here – including classics like BBC One, Channel 4 and QVC, and over 75,000 hours of on-demand content from catch-up apps including BBC iPlayer and ITVX, is nothing to sniff at.

The Aero’s reveal feels long overdue, considering 8 out of 10 respondents to a YouGov survey conducted last summer said they would like Freely on their next TV, and several of the biggest TV manufacturers don’t support it.

Those buying a TV from Samsung or LG, for instance, can’t access it, which, given the popularity of those brands in our TV Brand of the Year Awards, is a pretty big deal. Granted, there are plenty of great TVs that integrate Freely: Panasonic’s range-topping Z95B OLED is one of the best (and most expensive) Freely TVs around, but there are less dear options from Hisense – Freely’s first official partner – TCL, Sharp and more.

Despite there being plenty of choices when shopping for a Freely TV, it’s fantastic news that you soon won’t have to choose a Freely TV at all, if you don’t want to. I know loads of people who’ve expressed an interest in Freely but aren’t looking to upgrade their TVs, so this device could be exactly what they need.

Speaking about the new Manhattan Aero, the CEO of Everyone TV (the company behind Freeview, Freesat and Freely), Jonathan Thompson, said: “We’re thrilled to expand Freely with the launch of the Manhattan Aero 4K TV streamer device.

“Our research shows that viewers who can’t yet stream Freely are eager to do so, and with the new Manhattan Aero, even more people can enjoy the same Freely experience found on TVs – bringing all their favourite live and on-demand TV together, for free, over Wi-Fi.”

Written By

Andy White

Andy was appointed Tech Editor in 2024 following four years spent putting a huge range of products through their paces. Formerly a sports journalist at Greenways Publishing, he cut his tech teeth testing laptops before taking over as the site’s TV and audio expert. He’s cast his eye over more headphones and televisions than you can shake a stick at but has also reviewed football boots, handheld game consoles and just about everything in between. As well as testing, writing and editing, Andy covers product launches and key industry events in the UK and overseas.

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