Manhattan’s new £69.99 Freely streaming box has sold out at Currys in under 24 hours – mirroring the Pleio’s launch-day disappearance three months ago.
Freely is a streaming platform designed to replace traditional Freeview by delivering live channels through broadband instead of aerials – and the rapid sellouts suggest many viewers are ready to make the switch.
The Manhattan Aero launched on Thursday morning as the cheapest way to get Freely on any existing TV without replacing the whole set. By Friday morning, it was gone.
For those who missed out, we’ve spoken to Manhattan’s COO about what happened – and we have details on exactly when stock should return at Currys, Amazon, and John Lewis over the next couple of weeks.
The bigger question is whether demand will continue outstripping supply as more UK viewers discover an affordable entry point to Freely.
What Is The Manhattan Aero?
The Aero is Manhattan TV’s first Freely streaming box, announced just over a week ago and positioned as a direct competitor to the Netgem Pleio whilst undercutting that device by £40.
Freely – Everyone TV’s streaming platform – is designed to eventually replace traditional Freeview and Freesat by delivering live TV channels entirely through your broadband connection (though it is operated by the same company that operates Freeview and Freesat).
Instead of needing an aerial or satellite dish, you watch channels by streaming them – with the added benefit of scrolling backwards through the TV guide to access catch-up content directly from the EPG.
The Aero delivers 60+ live Freely channels – BBC, ITV, Channel 4, 5, and dozens more – plus over 75,000 hours of on-demand content from the major broadcasters’ catch-up services, and doesn’t even have an aerial port – everything streams through broadband.
The device runs TiVo OS rather than Manhattan’s usual custom software, giving it access to major streaming apps – Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video,…