There's an entirely new way to buy popular Freely TV box that adds Sky TV-like features to terrestrial telly

Aaron Brown
Thu, 23 Apr 2026 08:00:10 +0000

French manufacturer Netgem has brought its immensely popular Pleio streaming box to auction site ebay. This marks the first time this sold-out set-top box has been available to buy anywhere outside of Amazon in the UK.

The Pleio has the first of these dedicated Freely boxes to launch in the UK, letting you stream free-to-air channels and on-demand boxsets from UK broadcasters over a Wi-Fi connection – with no aerial needed.

For those who don't know, Freely launched in the first half of 2024, but was only available preinstalled on brand-new Smart TVs designed from the ground up to support the software. Freely is built by the same team as Freeview and Freesat, and is forecast to overtake both by the end of the decade. It adds a slew of features that aren't possible on either of those other platforms, including the ability to restart a live show that's already in progress.

Netgem's diddy box was the first to market that allowed anyone to add Freely to their existing setup. Aside from the cost of the box, and the TV licence, watching all of your favourite boxsets, live shows, sports, and documentaries on Freely is completely free of charge — with no subscriptions, free trials, or accounts to create.

"Exceptional demand" caused the Pleio streaming box to sell out in just a few hours when it launched on Amazon in November last year. Weeks after this runaway success, manufacturer Netgem was forced to hike the price of the hardware. This was a result of an increase in RAM costs across the industry.

Spiralling RAM costs have been caused by massive demand as tech companies race to construct Artificial Intelligence (AI) data centres — those enormous facilities packed with computer chips that power AI systems, like ChatGPT. Despite that, Netgam has confirmed to GB News that its Pleio streaming box will permanently return to its original price of £99, after spiking to £119.88 just two months after the device first hit shelves.

Speaking to GB News, Managing Director of Netgem UK, Sylvain Thevenot said: "The rising cost of RAM is a significant factor for everyone in the industry, but we have made the strategic decision to absorb these costs rather than passing them on to the consumer.

"While the raw costs would justify a higher RRP, we have settled on a permanent price of £99 to prioritise the growth of our user base. We want to give access to as many customers as possible to our rich array of content, including 150 Extra channels and 300+ Games, so they can experiment and enjoy the power of Cloud Gaming with the provided Gamepad.

"Our focus is on long-term market presence; we want to ensure the product remains at a price point that is accessible and realistic for our customers. We are here for the long haul, and that starts with maintaining a stable, competitive entry point for our technology.”

The £99 price tag for the Pleio box includes the set-top box, remote, game controller, and a three-month trial to its premium subscription, which includes access to premium channels and cloud gaming. The box costs that same on Amazon UK and its new home on ebay.

Instead of a limited three-month subscription, Pleio also now comes with a 12-month subscription to premium channels and cloud gaming.

It's worth remembering that ownership of the hardware is deferred until the 12-month subscription period ends, which means you’re essentially leasing or financing it as part of the subscription. You can't sell the Pleio box after six months as a second-hand item, since you don't technically own it at that point.

Upgrade your telly with Freely's Netgem Pleio

French entertainment brand Netgem is the first brand to launch a plug-and-play box that brings Freely to any television. Connect via HDMI, and you'll be able to stream the most popular free-to-air channels, including the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, U, and of course, GB News. Freely arrives packed with several features previously only found on paid-for options like Sky Stream and EE TV

The Pleio's biggest selling point is that seamless Freely experience with a proper electronic programme guide – no aerial needed.

Freely has a few new tricks up its sleeves when compared to watching many of the same channels on Freeview or Freesat. For example, you can restart a show that's already started with a single button press — saving you the hassle of jumping to a catch-up service to watch the beginning.

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You can also browse through previously aired episodes in the same series directly from the TV Guide, bringing together on-demand catalogues available to stream and live terrestrial television in a way previously only seen from the likes of Sky Stream, Virgin TV Stream, and EE TV.

New features are being added all of the time, with the Everyone TV team behind Freely adding the ability to scroll backwards through time on the TV Guide to access content from streaming services, earlier this year. Likewise, the catch-all My List feature announced earlier last year is now available on all Freely-powered gadgets.

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If that isn't enough, the Android 14-powered Pleio includes access to the Google Play Store, so you'll be able to download a wide selection of streaming apps, like Netflix, Prime Video, NOW, Disney+, YouTube, and more.

Still want more to watch? Netgem can unlock more than 150 FAST (Free Ad-supported Streaming TV) channels to your Pleio box if you subscribe to its optional monthly plan. Not only that, but the Pleio can double up as a fairly convincing console too.

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There's a dedicated Bluetooth-enabled controller in the box, and you'll unlock more than 250 titles as part of that same subscription. Netgem owns a cloud gaming service, so most of the grunt happens on its servers.

What's the catch? Netgem hasn't included an aerial port on the back of the Pleio — something that isn't the case with all Freely-enabled devices available on store shelves today.

As such, if you lose your broadband connection, there's no way to continue watching free-to-air television via this Freely-powered box.

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Netgem also decided not to include a hard drive, so there's no way to record shows when they air — you'll be completely reliant on the libraries of streamers like BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4, U, and others.

If you do want this functionality and are willing to splash out a bit extra, the Humax Aura EZ 4K TV Recorder with Freely was recently unveiled for £249.

Buy the Humax Aura EZ 4K TV Recorder with Freely

This is the third set-top box to launch with the Freely platform baked into it. Inside the Aura EZ 4K TV Recorder is a 2TB hard drive capable of recording up to 1,000 hours of content. When connected to an aerial, this new Humax device enables viewers to record up to four channels while watching a fifth channel live, ensuring they never miss their favourite television shows, sports fixtures, or films.

To schedule a recording, you can tap the Menu button on the remote control to reveal the seven-day TV Guide, making it faster – and simpler – to select a show for recording. The Humax Aura EZ comes with a dedicated Freely button on the remote control, enabling fast and convenient access to the newest streaming platform.

The Aura EZ requires an aerial for full, traditional recording functionality and does not appear to support third-party apps like Netflix or Disney+.