Nobody needs to be told that television consumption is rapidly changing, but it might be worth noting that certain types of content are more susceptible to the unceasing flurry of instant information and on-demand streaming than others – like, the weather. Of all the types of linear programming consumable by screen that have emerged over the years, the one that is easiest to ignore in favor of a device, and which has the shortest lifespan in terms of relevance, has got to be the daily forecast.

Of course, the Weather Channel, reportedly up for sale, and its ilk have done what they can to serve up reality programming and other shows that give viewers reasons to tune in beyond finding out what the temperature is. They’ve also, in an industry that is still trying to get its arms around the digital space, consistently been ahead of the curve when it comes to interactive endeavors, constantly finding new ways to merge increasingly up-to-the-minute weather updates with consumers’ lifestyles. Now, the first weather-related live app has emerged on Android TV – courtesy of Canada’s Pelmorex-owned Weather Network.

To implement its service on Android TV, the Weather Network “worked with Google to adapt its platform to accommodate these never-before-seen app features,” says Naomi Lipowski, director of TV apps and emerging platforms for its parent company Pelmorex Media Inc. “They taught us about the concept of live channels, of having a live TV app channel. So we were able to take the live channel concept and mix it in with localization.”

The result is an experience that brings targeted, personalized weather forecasts to connected televisions as big as 10 feet across. Users can input zip codes to get access to weather information as close as .6 miles from where they are. A collection of VOD clips flesh out the statistics, including the linear channel’s popular Force of Nature video series showcasing images of the latest active and major weather events happening around the world. There’s also a section for user-submitted content (which one imagines will gradually populate with increasingly cool global fare as the app expands its scope and international users get increasingly connected), not to mention traffic maps and voice control functionality.

Most of these features are available on the Weather Network’s numerous mobile apps but in merging them with OTT, the Android TV offering hopes to get eyeballs back to the television set.

“It’s about slowly making users comfortable with the concept of interaction on TV,” said Lipowski. “With this they can go in, launch our live channel, it’s completely localized… and we also put in overlays, so they will have an overlay of their weather specific to them in that location.”

That last feature is perhaps more important in getting viewers accustomed to engaging with a weather app on their TV as opposed to a phone or tablet, because they don’t have to dig very far in to benefit from it.

“From there, if they want to interact they can go further and open the application,” continued Lipowski.

Where many TV makers are aiming for streaming content that lives in perpetuity, the Weather Network’s fare is old news from the minute it arrives. To keep viewers locked into it, it must therefore be woven into the very fabric of life itself, where it can’t be missed. Adding to an already robust app portfolio, Android TV and its requisite Google partnership opens new inroads for the Weather Network toward achieving that goal.

“Wearable is on our roadmap; in-car is on our roadmap,” said Lipowski. “The great thing about the relationship with Google is that they were able to incorporate some of our recommendations into their [own] product roadmap, and they’re incorporating those as we speak. It’s nice learning that can be leveraged on any platform we go into.”

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