The trend of moving away from traditional television towards streaming services continues to gain momentum. Sky has been at the forefront of this shift with products like the Stream box and Glass TV, using broadband to deliver live and on-demand content directly to homes without the need for a conventional satellite dish. While Sky’s innovative hardware has been dominant in this space, there are now other alternatives emerging.
One such alternative is Freely, introduced in 2024 and supported by the creators of Freeview, offering free access to popular TV shows, sports, and movies streamed over the internet. Initially, viewers had to purchase a new TV with built-in Freely to access this service, which was somewhat inconvenient. However, this changed towards the end of last year with the introduction of a Freely-compatible Pleio puck, making the service accessible on existing televisions.
Adding to the array of choices available, Manhattan has recently revealed its inaugural Freely set-top box.
Renowned for its widely popular Freeview boxes that provided features similar to Sky Q, Manhattan is now shifting its focus with the introduction of a new streaming-only device. The Aero 4K TV Streamer, set to launch in February, offers access to 60 live TV channels and over 75,000 hours of on-demand content without the need for a monthly subscription. Similar to Sky’s Stream box, all content is delivered over Wi-Fi, eliminating the necessity for an aerial or satellite dish.
Operating on the acclaimed TiVo OS, the Aero grants users access not only to Freely but also to popular streaming apps like Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, and YouTube. Additionally, it includes TiVo+, which provides approximately 400 free streaming channels and a vast library of on-demand movies and TV shows.
As indicated by its name, the Aero supports 4K picture quality and features voice search functionality, although it lacks the capability to record programs onto a hard drive.
In response to the launch, Alex Arbab-Zadeh, Manhattan’s COO, expressed, “Freely is an excellent new platform that offers fantastic British television over broadband without monthly fees – however, many TVs do not have it integrated. Aero addresses this issue. Just connect to Wi-Fi, and you’ll have access to live TV, catch-up options, and all your favorite streaming apps. It presents a straightforward and cost-effective way to enhance any TV without the need for replacement.”
The Manhattan Aero 4K TV Streamer with Freely is set to be released in February 2026 at a price of £69.99 and will be available for purchase from various retailers including Currys, John Lewis, and Amazon.