Earlier quoted context omitted.
at those form factors, they were quite price competitive. Yes many alternatives cost less, but if you want to tape them to the back of a TV that generates heat and has to be turned on 24/7 to display advertisements, video,..., they were cheapest by far. Or in meeting rooms to display zoom/teams, ... A raspberry pi just doesn't handle those scenario's
An RPi actually can handle those scenarios in many usecases. A Chromecast devices with a server feed can as well.
Paying extra for reliability is absolutely worth it.