The Weather Company
The Weather Company is a weather forecasting, data, analytics, media, and aviation-technology company that operates weather.com, The Weather Channel app, Weather Underground, and Storm Radar.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
The Weather Company is a weather forecasting and information-technology business whose roots lie in The Weather Channel, established in 1980 and launched as a television service two years later. Over time, the business expanded from broadcast weather programming into digital forecasting, audience products, data licensing, advertising technology, enterprise analytics, aviation services, and weather-related software. The organization was restructured in 2012, when the broader corporate identity shifted from The Weather Channel to The Weather Company. The change reflected the increasing importance of digital products, data services, and technology in addition to the television channel. The company’s consumer portfolio includes the Weather Channel mobile application, weather.com, Weather Underground, and Storm Radar. These services provide forecasts, severe-weather information, radar and map views, user-generated observations, alerts, and other location-specific weather experiences. The company also supplies weather data and analytical tools to businesses. Its technology is used in areas such as advertising, aviation, broadcasting, government and defense-related software, and operational planning. Its API provides forecast and atmospheric information to third parties, while its advertising products allow marketers to use weather conditions and forecasts for audience targeting, campaign timing, and demand planning. The company’s Max graphics platform supports weather presentation for broadcasters, including the production of green-screen maps and localized visualizations. Aviation has become a significant area of specialization. Pilotbrief, one of the company’s earliest products, originated in 1980 as a source of weather information for flight-route planning. Later aviation tools, including Fusion and Maverick Dispatch, combine weather, airspace, flight, and operational data to help airlines and dispatchers manage disruptions and make routing decisions. The company has also developed AI-supported smart NOTAMs intended to classify and summarize aviation notices. Ownership of the business has changed several times. A consortium involving Blackstone, Bain Capital, and NBCUniversal sold The Weather Company’s product and technology assets to IBM in January 2016. The consortium retained the Weather Channel cable network, which was later sold to Entertainment Studios in 2018. Consequently, The Weather Company operates the Weather Channel digital products and owns the broader Weather Channel brand, but it does not operate the separately owned television network. IBM owned the company from 2016 until Francisco Partners agreed to acquire it in 2023 and completed the transaction in February 2024. It has operated as a standalone company under Francisco Partners since then. The company continues to invest in atmospheric modeling and artificial intelligence. In 2019 it introduced GRAF, a global high-resolution atmospheric forecasting system. It later announced work with NVIDIA on AI weather forecasting and incorporated JEDI data-assimilation technology into GRAF. Newer offerings such as ReelSphere, probabilistic snowfall information, Maverick Dispatch, and smart NOTAMs illustrate the company’s continuing movement from consumer weather media toward predictive, operational, and AI-enabled weather intelligence.
History
The Weather Company developed from The Weather Channel, a weather-media venture founded in 1980 and launched in 1982. In its earliest period, the business concentrated on weather broadcasting and related information services. It also created the first version of Pilotbrief in 1980, extending its activities into aviation weather and route-planning information. During the following decades, weather information moved increasingly from television into websites, mobile applications, digital advertising, data licensing, and specialized operational software. To reflect this broader scope, the organization was restructured in 2012 under the name The Weather Company. The distinction allowed the Weather Channel identity to remain associated with consumer weather media while the company developed a wider portfolio of technology and data products. Before IBM’s ownership, the business was controlled by a consortium consisting of Blackstone, Bain Capital, and NBCUniversal. On January 29, 2016, that consortium sold the Weather Company’s product and technology assets to IBM. The transaction did not transfer the Weather Channel cable network to IBM. Instead, the consortium retained the television network and entered into a long-term arrangement covering use of weather data and The Weather Channel name and branding. The retained television network was sold to Entertainment Studios in March 2018. The Weather Company consequently continued to operate weather.com, the Weather Channel app, Weather Underground, and other digital and data services, while the television network became separately owned. Under IBM, the business was associated with the Watson and Cloud Platform organization. Its activities included consumer weather services, enterprise data and analytics, API licensing, advertising products, broadcast graphics, and aviation technology. The company’s weather information was also used by third-party organizations, including technology platforms and broadcasters. In 2019, it launched GRAF, a global high-resolution atmospheric forecasting system intended to improve the detail and reach of weather modeling. IBM agreed in August 2023 to sell The Weather Company and its assets to Francisco Partners. The transaction included the digital and technology portfolio associated with the Weather Channel app, weather.com, Weather Underground, and Storm Radar. Francisco Partners completed the acquisition in February 2024, and the business began operating as a standalone company. After the acquisition, The Weather Company continued expanding its forecasting, AI, media, and aviation offerings. It announced a collaboration with NVIDIA on AI weather forecasting in 2024 and introduced ReelSphere, an AI tool connected with the Max broadcast graphics platform. In 2025, the company integrated JEDI data assimilation into GRAF, launched Maverick Dispatch for airline dispatchers, and released smart NOTAMs for aviation users. Its consumer and enterprise products remain linked by the use of atmospheric data, forecasting models, location intelligence, and operational analytics.
- 2025
JEDI is integrated into GRAF
[1]The company implements the Joint Effort for Data Assimilation Integration in its global high-resolution forecasting system.
- 2024
Acquisition by Francisco Partners closes
[1]Francisco Partners completes the acquisition, after which The Weather Company operates independently of IBM.
- 2023
Francisco Partners agrees to acquire the company
[1]IBM announces an agreement to sell The Weather Company and its principal digital and technology assets to Francisco Partners.
- 2019
GRAF forecasting system launches
[1]The company introduces its Global High-Resolution Atmospheric Forecasting system.
- 2018
The Weather Channel cable network is sold separately
[1]The retained television network is sold to Entertainment Studios, leaving The Weather Company focused on digital, data, and technology operations.
- 2016
IBM acquires the product and technology assets
[1]IBM acquires The Weather Company’s product and technology assets, while the prior owners retain the cable network.
- 2012
Corporate structure is broadened under The Weather Company name
[1]The organization adopts a broader holding-company structure and replaces “Channel” with “Company” to reflect its digital and data businesses.
- 1982
The Weather Channel launches
[1]The weather-focused television service begins operation, establishing the media foundation from which The Weather Company later develops.
- 1980
The Weather Channel business is founded
[1]The company’s origins trace to the establishment of The Weather Channel and the development of the first Pilotbrief aviation-weather product.
Products and positioning
A global weather-intelligence platform combining consumer weather media, atmospheric forecasting, data APIs, enterprise analytics, advertising solutions, broadcasting technology, and aviation decision-support software.
Consumer weather application
The Weather Channel app
The company’s principal consumer mobile product provides forecasts, current conditions, severe-weather information, alerts, radar and map features, and other location-based weather services. It is operated by The Weather Company even though the separately owned Weather Channel television network is not.
Consumer weather website
weather.com
The company’s main weather website delivers forecasts, warnings, radar, news, and weather-related information to consumers. It also provides an advertising environment connected to the company’s broader weather-data and audience capabilities.
Weather data and consumer service
Weather Underground
Weather Underground is a weather service within The Weather Company’s portfolio. It combines forecast information and weather observations into a consumer-facing website and related digital experience.
Storm-tracking application
Storm Radar
Storm Radar is an application focused on tracking storms and hurricanes. It uses radar and forecast information to help users monitor developing weather systems and their expected movement.
Atmospheric forecasting system · 2019
GRAF
The Global High-Resolution Atmospheric Forecasting system is the company’s high-resolution global weather-modeling platform. It supports forecasting and downstream products, including aviation tools, and was later enhanced through JEDI data assimilation.
Broadcast weather graphics platform
Max
Max is a graphics platform used by broadcasters to generate weather maps and presentation visuals, including green-screen weather displays for local news operations.
AI broadcasting tool · 2024
ReelSphere
ReelSphere is an AI-enabled broadcasting tool integrated with Max. It adds hyperlocal information to video weather reports using weather data supplied through The Weather Company’s API.
Aviation weather information · 1980
Pilotbrief
Pilotbrief provides pilots with route-planning information and contextual weather data, including forecasts relevant to icing and turbulence. Its first version was developed at the company’s origin in 1980.
Aviation operations software
Fusion
Fusion combines weather, airspace, and flight information to support operational decisions in aviation. It is designed to help users understand weather-related effects on flight operations.
Airline dispatch software · 2025
Maverick Dispatch
Maverick Dispatch is a cloud-based tool for airline dispatchers. It uses predictive analytics and GRAF visualizations to help manage weather-related operational issues and has been used by Breeze Airways and Horizon Air.
Weather analytics plug-in
Weatherverse Planner
Weatherverse Planner supplies real-time weather data, forecasts, and risk analytics to third-party software tools, including applications used in military-related contexts.
AI aviation information tool · 2025
Smart NOTAMs
Smart NOTAMs use artificial intelligence to categorize and summarize notices to air missions for pilots and airline dispatchers. The feature was initially made available through Maverick Dispatch.
Brand decisions
2025
Expand aviation decision-support productsProduct launchBackground
Airlines and dispatchers require integrated weather, flight, airspace, and notice information to manage operational disruption.
Action taken
The company introduced Maverick Dispatch and later released smart NOTAMs, combining predictive analytics and AI-supported information processing for aviation users.
Aftermath
The products extended The Weather Company’s aviation portfolio beyond forecast delivery into workflow and operational decision support.
2024
Advance AI-based weather forecastingStrategyBackground
The company sought to extend its forecasting capabilities through artificial intelligence and high-resolution atmospheric modeling.
Action taken
The Weather Company announced a collaboration with NVIDIA to create an AI weather-forecasting tool.
Aftermath
The collaboration reinforced the company’s positioning around AI-enabled weather intelligence, although the supplied material does not specify a commercial launch date or financial outcome.
2023
Agree to sell The Weather Company to Francisco PartnersM&ABackground
IBM decided to divest the Weather Company business and its associated digital, consumer, and technology assets.
Action taken
IBM agreed to sell the business to Francisco Partners, including the Weather Channel app, weather.com, Weather Underground, and Storm Radar.
Aftermath
The transaction closed in February 2024, and the company resumed operation as a standalone business.
Announced transaction consideration. $1.1 billion total consideration, comprising $750 million in cash, $100 million deferred over seven years, and $250 million in contingent consideration (2024 acquisition completion)
2016
Sell the product and technology assets to IBMM&ABackground
The prior ownership consortium separated the digital and technology business from the cable television network.
Action taken
IBM acquired the Weather Company product and technology assets, while the consortium retained the cable network and licensed relevant data, name, and branding rights for continued use.
Aftermath
The Weather Company became part of IBM’s Watson and Cloud Platform activities, while the television network remained outside IBM.
2012
Broaden the corporate identity beyond television weatherStrategyBackground
The organization was expanding into websites, applications, data, analytics, and other digital products, making the television-oriented “Weather Channel” identity less representative of the full business.
Action taken
The company created a broader holding structure and adopted The Weather Company name while continuing to use The Weather Channel branding for consumer weather media.
Aftermath
The revised structure supported a distinction between the Weather Channel media brand and the company’s wider data, technology, and enterprise operations.
Recent events
- 2025
The Weather Channel app adds probabilistic snowfall information[1]
Product launch
The Weather Channel app introduced a paid feature providing more granular projections of expected snowfall amounts.
- 2025
The Weather Company implements JEDI in GRAF[1]
Product generation · Other
The company incorporated the Joint Effort for Data Assimilation Integration into its Global High-Resolution Atmospheric Forecasting system.
- 2025
Maverick Dispatch introduced for airline weather operations[1]
Product launch
The Weather Company introduced Maverick Dispatch, a cloud-based tool designed to help airline dispatchers manage weather-related operational issues.
- 2025
Smart NOTAMs released for aviation users[1]
Product launch · Other
The company released AI-supported smart NOTAMs that categorize and summarize aviation notices for pilots and dispatchers.
- 2024
Francisco Partners completes acquisition of The Weather Company[1]
M&A
Francisco Partners completed its acquisition of The Weather Company, after which the business operated as a standalone company.
- 2024
The Weather Company and NVIDIA announce AI weather-forecasting collaboration[1]
Product launch · Other
The companies announced a collaboration to develop an artificial-intelligence weather-forecasting tool.
- 2023
IBM agrees to sell The Weather Company to Francisco Partners[1]
M&A
IBM announced an agreement to sell The Weather Company and associated assets, including the Weather Channel mobile application, weather.com, Weather Underground, and Storm Radar, to private-equity firm Francisco Partners.
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