Sky faces another new rival that will offer UK homes a free way to watch TV

If you want to watch TV without needing an aerial or dish stuck to your chimney then you won't find a much better option than Sky Glass. This premium telly platform, which also now includes a cheaper Glass Air telly, lets homes tune into hundreds of live and on-demand channels via a broadband connection.

It's a tough TV to beat but it is being rivalled by Freely. This service launched last year and also offers an instant way to watch TV shows without an aerial. Since it was first unveiled, the list of telly manufacturers making Freely-powered screens has been increasing and now there's even more good news for those considering switching to it.

It's just been announced that smart TVs powered by the Roku operating system will soon get Freely pre-installed. That means UK homes wanting to access the streaming platform will be able to choose Roku-powered models made by Sharp, JVC, METZ and Polaroid.

This new partnership will bring Freely together with the Roku experience and offer advanced features including personalised content and discovery tools.

Speaking about the changes, Jonathan Thompson, CEO, Everyone TV, said: “Offering freely on the Roku operating system is a major milestone for us, as we continue to expand reach for the free streaming platform.

"We’re delighted that as a huge global player, Roku has recognised the importance of easy and seamless access to public service broadcast content for UK audiences and I look forward to seeing Freely smart TVs with Roku in market this summer.”

Does Freely fully match the Sky Glass experience?

Freely does offer a comprehensive TV guide, recommendations and even a new backwards telly feature which lets you go back in time to find things to watch.

It's fully powered by your broadband and even offers the ability to pause live TV.

Once the compatible TV has been purchased, there are no monthly fees to pay, so you can watch shows, sports and movies without reaching for the credit card.

It's a decent way to watch the telly, but Freely can't match Sky when it comes to channels and overall features. Sky Glass offers instant access to premium channels, and there is also better integration with streaming platforms such as Netflix and Disney+.

The firm's clever Playlists function also lets you store shows and movies to watch at a later date. One final thing to note is that Sky has worked hard on reducing the latency when watching live sport - that's something Freely can't currently match.