Why are TVs so cheap now? Well, your smart TV is watching you and making extra money, too
https://phys.org/news/2019-02-tvs-cheap-smart-tv-extra.html
A mix of lower LCD prices, more intense competition and new ways to profit off the consumer once the set enters our homes have turned the boob tube into something more like a razor. And we, the viewers, are the razor blades.
Bill Baxter, the Chief Technology Officer for TV set giant Vizio, referred to it as the "post-purchase monetization" of the TV on a recent podcast interview with the Verge.