Fuse Plus Subscription-Based Streaming Service Launches on Roku, Amazon Fire TV

Latino-owned media company Fuse is getting into the subscription-based streaming field of play with Fuse Plus, at $2 a month as a standalone service and available at no extra cost to customers of participating pay-TV operators.

The new streaming service launched today after a beta that first kicked off in June. The platform will launch with 500 hours of content, with more programming being added over time. The content will include a mix of programming from its linear Fuse channel along with some additional content. The service is also said to include advertisements, albeit on a small scale.

Fuse has had a long and winding road since it debuted as MuchMusic USA in 1994. It relaunched as Fuse in 2003, doubling down on music with an aim to capture the MTV audience alienated after the channel left music videos behind. The company merged with NuvoTV in 2015, before eventually filing for bankruptcy in 2019.

In November, the company became a Latino-owned and managed company. Shortly afterward, Fuse signaled its plans to target English-speaking Latino and multi-cultural viewers with services geared towards that community. Late last year, CEO Miguel “Mike” Roggero said the company’s mission to provide content for an audience that he felt is often overlooked.

“As our research has shown, young consumers demand empowering content that is representative, inclusive and authentic,” Roggero said in announcing the launch. “Fuse Media is launching Fuse Plus as another step in serving this audience across all screens.”

Variety reported that along with the launch, Fuse announced a content deal with global Afro-Latina star, musician, author, and activist Amara La Negra. The first show to premiere as part of the content deal is Don’t Cancel Me With Amara La Negra, set to debut December 1 on Fuse Plus and Fuse. The new eight-episode series will follow La Negra into the streets of Miami for honest conversations on topics including immigration, colorism, body image, and LGBTQ+ rights.

“I’m beyond thrilled to be continuing to help the world continue to see the diversity and culture around them,” La Negra said. “Don’t Cancel Me represents important conversations we need to be having right now and I couldn’t be more excited about it!”

Other shows launching on Fuse Plus include:

• Shine True (premieres Sept. 14), in which mentors and role models help a nonbinary or trans person explore their inner identity and passions.
• Made From Scratch (premieres Sept. 15), a “not-really-a-cooking-show” that goes beyond the recipe to serve up a candid look into the lives of artists as they prepare their most-loved childhood dishes with the family who knows them best.
• Sex Sells (all episodes on Fuse Plus on Sept. 21), a show that celebrates sex-focused businesses from a female perspective.
• The Canvas: Los Angeles (premieres Oct. 6), profiling the unconventional journeys of some of L.A.’s most enigmatic up-and-coming visual artists.
• “Like a Girl” (premieres 2022): Denise Jones, a vocal leader in the fight for gender equality in sports, hosts a multigenerational interview and competition series. In every episode, Jones will spend a day with a talented young, female athlete, including training and competing with some of the biggest athletes on the planet.

Fuse Plus, in addition to previously announced availability on Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV, will also be available on the Roku platform, as well as iOS and Android mobile devices. The subscription VOD service costs $1.99/month or $19.99/year; free access is included as part of select cable or satellite TV packages.