New Sky and Freeview rival launches in the UK that lets you stream TV for free

Freeview and Sky have a new rival called the PLEIO Puck that’s powered by Freely.

There’s no doubt streaming has become the future of television. Sky has poured serious investment into this latest technology, with products like Sky Glass and the Sky Stream box proving hugely popular in the UK. Their big appeal is simplicity — just connect to your Wi-Fi, and you can be viewing shows, sports and movies without the fuss of engineer visits or dishes being drilled into the chimney. Sky still leads the pack thanks to its massive selection of channels and features but it’s no longer the only effortless way to watch TV.

A another new option, called Freely, also lets households watch live and on-demand TV without an aerial — and it has one clear edge over Sky: you don’t need a monthly subscription to use it.

The catch? Until now, Freely has only been built into the latest TVs from brands like Hisense, Panasonic and Sharp, leaving anyone with an older set – or models made by the likes of Samsung and LG – out of luck.

Luckily, that’s just changed with the launch of a new device called the PLEIO Puck.

Developed by the team at Netgem, this compact box brings full Freely access to any TV. Just plug it into an HDMI port, connect it to broadband, and you’re ready to go.

Once set up, the PLEIO Puck delivers live and on-demand Freely viewing with over 40 channels available for free. The Freely platform also lets you pause live TV, see recommendations and find what’s on now and next via the interactive guide.

As well as Freely, the Puck also includes other major streaming apps like Disney+ and Netflix. It also supports over 200 games and offers full voice control.

It goes on sale today for £99. That price includes the PLEIO Puck, a voice remote, a gamepad controller, and a three-month trial of the Netgem PLEIO subscription, which unlocks 250+ cloud games and 150+ extra channels. After the trial, the subscription is optional at £9.99 per month.

Speaking about the launch, Sylvain Thevenot Managing Director of Netgem UK said: “After a decade of collaboration with national broadcasters and operators, we recognised the need for a simple, all-in-one platform and are proud to launch in the UK, as a first step of our product strategy.

“We built PLEIO as the answer to the fragmentation of the entertainment market. PLEIO delivers a truly comprehensive viewing experience – Watch, Stream, and Play – that is ready for any Fibre broadband-connected home today. It represents a new approach for consumers and an unparalleled opportunity for operators to deliver both choice and exceptional value.”

Industry analyst Paolo Pescatore also told Mirror Online that a device like PLEIO is long overdue, noting that consumers are desperate for more affordable ways to watch content. He warned that rising subscription prices — driven in part by broadcasters paying more for sports rights — are pushing viewers toward messy, fragmented options and even illegal streaming.