This is the Aero 4K TV Streamer, the second Freely-powered set-top box to launch in the UK.
It competes head-to-head with the Pleio box from French manufacturer Netgem, which launched at the tail-end of last year and immediately sold out. Netgem has struggled to keep the box on the shelves of Amazon UK ever since, despite being forced to increase the price.
For those who don't know, Freely launched in the first half of last year. Built by the same team as Freeview and Freesat, this new platform is forecast to overtake both of these by the end of the decade.
The Aero 4K TV Streamer is built by the British brand, Manhattan. Plug this box into the HDMI port on the back of your telly, and you're able to stream the biggest free-to-air channels, including GB News, ITV, BBC, Channel 4, and more. There's also an on-demand catalogue brimming with over 75,000 hours of on-demand content (believe it or not, that's more than Netflix). Unlike Freeview, Freely boasts several clever features that you'd usually only associate with paid-for platforms like Sky Glass or Sky Stream, including pausing live television and rewinding a show that's in progress.
This diddy box unlocks dozens of free-to-air live channels, a catalogue of 75,000 hours of on-demand content, and apps from streamers like Netflix, Disney+, and Prime Video
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Before the launch of the Pleio and Aero 4K TV Streamer, the only way to access the latest Freely features was to upgrade to one of the new flatscreens built from the ground up to support the modern streaming platform.
With these new set-top boxes, you can keep your current set-up, but benefit from the convenience of beaming all of your live television via Wi-Fi, rather than a traditional aerial. That means you'll be able to place your telly anywhere in the house (with a decent wireless signal that delivers 10Mbps) and you won't need to worry about bad weather disrupting your latest boxset obsession, sports fixture, or movie night.
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Under the bonnet, this box is powered by TiVo, the same software that used to be found on Virgin Media's set-top boxes before it switched to an in-house solution
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Aero 4K TV Streamer runs the award-winning TiVo OS – so on top of Freely, there’s also access to apps for Netflix, Disney+, and Prime Video, as well as YouTube, and much more.
You'll need a standalone subscription to login and watch some of these services, but TiVo+ gives you another 400 completely free streaming channels and a huge library of free on-demand movies and shows.
Streaming in stunning 4K picture quality is supported. Manhattan has added support for voice search too, so finding your next binge-watch won't require any fiddly typing using the directional keypad on the remote.
Manhattan COO, Alex Arbab-Zadeh said: "Freely is a brilliant new platform that delivers Great British Telly over broadband with no monthly bills – but there are lots of TVs out there that don't have it built in. Aero fixes that. Just connect to Wi-Fi and you've got live TV, catch-up and all your favourite streaming apps – a simple, affordable way to upgrade any TV without having to replace it."
The Manhattan Aero 4K TV Streamer with Freely will be available for £69.99 from Currys, John Lewis, Amazon and more in February 2026. While it misses out on the game-streaming capabilities of the Pleio, those who only want a simple-to-use Freely box to watch their favourite shows will likely be pleased with the savings.
Unlike its rival Pleio, there's no controller in the box or access to video games via the cloud with the Aero 4K TV Streamer
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Commenting on the latest launch, Jonathan Thompson, CEO at Everyone TV – the organisation behind Freeview and Freely, said: "From the 2026 FIFA World Cup to another season of Celeb Traitors, this year promises an incredible line up of TV moments for the whole family.
"We’re thrilled to expand Freely with the launch of the Manhattan Aero 4K TV streamer device, available in February. 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."
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