They might want the features but be unaware of the price they're paying. That spyware is a revenue stream that pays the manufacturer dividends as long as the TV is used. All the major brands claim TVs are discounted due to these marketing-included features. They don't actually reveal the discount nor their profit. And most modern TVs have antipatterns that try to bypass consumer choice or punish the consumer for opting out.
I'm not disagreeing with you as much as saying the "smart features" moniker papers over things the consumer might use to make an informed choice but those things are definitely in small print or essentially mandatory EULAs. Consumers may want the features but given the choice they might not choose to pay that price.
You can't refuse ALL of them, only the ones related to data sharing. I have all of the optional ones off and the TV works fine for what I need. I'm obviously not using any of the smart apps at all.
I'm not disagreeing with you as much as saying the "smart features" moniker papers over things the consumer might use to make an informed choice but those things are definitely in small print or essentially mandatory EULAs. Consumers may want the features but given the choice they might not choose to pay that price.