By no means am I a marketing guru, but the thought occurs to me that when you tune in to watch such a movie, you are adding to the viewing demographics, thereby boosting ad revenue. The television execs see this and acknowledge this as a demand for that genre or actor, then seek out similar movies to pander to their audience.
I rarely buy a product because the maker sponsors a TV show. On the other hand, I have tried Snapple ice tea because they sponsor Rush.