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Broadband-based live TV streaming service Freely, which is supported by major UK TV broadcasters (BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and 5 etc.) and is an evolution – not a replacement – of the existing Freeview service (inc. Freeview Play and Freesat), has finally revealed that they’ll be launching on a streaming media device via the Netgem TV platform. But you’ll need a new box.
Freeview Play is now a somewhat dated platform and one that remains centred around on-demand content, while Freely viewers are able to easily browse and watch live UK TV channels together with on-demand content streamed straight to their smart TV via the internet (IPTV) – without the need for an aerial connection or new set-top-box (depending upon device support).
However, one of the biggest roadblocks to adoption of Freely’s platform today remains its limited availability, which has seen the new service deployed across a variety of new TV sets but not much else (some major TV manufacturers are also still missing from their supported device list). But customers of most existing internet-connected TVs, as well as popular TV streaming boxes and sticks, have all been excluded.
Despite this, the Director General of the BBC, Tim Davie, hinted in May 2025 that Freely was “considering” the development of a streaming media device (here). The good news today is that Netgem TV’s IPTV box and service, which is typically bundled by broadband ISPs like Brsk, TalkTalk, CommunityFibre, Wightfibre and others, is to become one of the first streaming box platforms to add support for Freely.
Jonathan Thompson, CEO, Everyone TV, said:
“Freely was created to make free TV work for everyone. Expanding to ‘plug-in and stream’ devices is an important and natural next step to ensure even more homes can enjoy the full Freely experience without the need for a TV upgrade or paid subscription. In partnership with Netgem, we’re launching streaming devices to make it easier than ever for UK audiences to enjoy the nation’s favourite TV, for free, on the TV you already have.”
Sylvain Thevenot, Managing Director of Netgem U.K., said:
“Netgem is delighted to introduce the first Freely streaming device to the market with Everyone TV. This innovation represents a game-changer for viewers who seek a streamlined TV and entertainment experience delivered over Wi-Fi. The integration of Freely with Netgem’s entertainment service positions this streaming puck as the optimal choice for all households and breathes a second life to all TV sets at an affordable price.”
The set-top-boxes Netgem provide – like the Netbox 4K (inc. HDR, bluetooth pairing, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, USB and Dolby Atmos sound) – tend to be similar to some of those supplied by rival video streaming companies and include an often familiar array of premium content, apps (iPlayer, itvx, 5, UKTV play, Amazon Prime Video etc.), live TV channels (Freeview) and catch-up content. But Netgem told ISPreview that you’ll need a new box (launching soon) to benefit from Freely (i.e. no firmware or app upgrades for existing users).
At present we don’t have any solid details on the exact availability, pricing, additional functionality, content and more of the new Freely equipped box from Netgem. But Netgem suggested there will be both a retail launch and a roll-out to their UK ISP partners starting in Q4 2025. “Freely requires a significant software upgrade that needs the very latest chipsets to run at the right level of quality: as we care about delivering the best possible experience, we have decided to enable Freely on the new devices only,” said Netgem’s spokeswoman to ISPreview.
The move to confirm Netgem as Freely’s first “plug-in and stream” device partner is a big development, although the streaming services adoption is likely to remain limited until Freely arrives on popular streaming devices from Amazon, Google and Roku etc. But hopefully that will follow in the near future.
The change is important because the age of traditional terrestrial TV signals, which came via the airwaves, is expected to gradually come to an end as gigabit-capable broadband nears almost universal UK coverage by 2032 (currently c.88%).