Plenty of spaces like restaurants or airports leave sports on TV. If it cost them more money to show sports, they might not play the games at restaurants, and perhaps might even turn the TV off. That's a win for folks like me that dislike background screens displaying anything[1], and particularly dislike sports playing. Now if only CNN, Fox, and other "news" stations would do the same...

1: After not having TV for years, I'm drawn to any screen like a bug to light. I find it extremely difficult to focus on things if there's a screen in the background showing any sort of moving image. I notice people that do have TVs seem to be able to just leave them on as ambient audio/video.