Ah, I see what better where you are coming from.
From a production standpoint the benefit to shooting in 4K right now is if you are delivering in HD you get more flexibility for things like reframing and image stabilization, more image data for VFX, etc.,. For example, I know some reality shows that are shooting their interview segments in 4K because they get a close up, medium and wide shot all from one camera. Or if it's a two person interview they get a 2-shot plus a single shot of each interviewee from a single camera. They don't shoot the entire show in 4K because it's cost prohibitive currently when you are talking about hundreds, if not thousands, of hours of footage per show.
There is also a future proofing argument which means a bit larger investment now can give the product more legs down the line (which means a longer chance to make money). For example, old TV shows shot on film can be remasterd in HD (or even 4K) but TV shows recorded onto SD video tape will always be stuck at that resolution. There's certainly money to be made in offering back catalog movies and TV shows in glorious, remastered 4K (either directly or via streaming service).
For some there is a prestigious element too using 4K since it's newer, higher resolution, implies a higher budget, better production value etc.,. That alone might be enough to hook more people in and thus make the producers more money. It's kinda small right now, but there is certainly a growing vibe in Los Angeles of "Oh, you are *only* shooting in HD?"
Media companies are always looking for ways to one-up each other so Amazon and Netflix dropping the 4K gauntlet might mean we see the networks starting to offer some shows in 4K via Hulu or CBS All Access. It's a tough place for the networks right now though because there's no unified ratings tracker for online viewing yet so any online views risk cannibalizing the TV audience which means lower ratings which means less ad revenue. If Nielsen could get its act together and provide a comprehensive measure for online ratings then I'm sure we'd see the TV networks doing more branching out into online distribution.
With all this being said, 4K is a very new thing and we in still in the chicken/egg zone where content creators are asking 'Where's the distribution?' and distributors are asking, 'Where's the content?'. Someone always has to go first.
I don't see it as nearly so black and white. Many people still happily watch SD channels and SD DVDs on their HDTVs. Sure, in an A/B comparison the HD might really jump out at them, but for everyday use they don't care enough to be bothered by the difference. I'd wager that most people ended up with an HDTV because their SD TV died and HD was the only option or they believed the marketing and loved how awesome their DVDs look now that they are 'in' HD.
1080 vs 720 is another example of marketing leading the way. Given the average living room viewing distance, HDTV screen size, and compression used for distribution most people wouldn't be able to see a difference between 1080 and 720. Yet 720 used gets poo-pooed while the marketing term of 'Full HD' for 1080 has made its way into common usage.
Those same marketing forces, plus the eventual phasing out of HDTVs, will usher in the 4K era the same way they ushered in the HD era. Not because consumers demanded it, but because consumers were given no other choice.
I wrote this a bit at a time throughout the day so apologies if it seems disjointed.