You can replace the Android TV launcher with an alternative like Projectivy [1] to get rid of whatever nonsense the stock launcher tries to push. Add Flicky [2] to address F-Droid and you've got a nuisance-free Android TV.
I’m perfectly happy with the status quo where a subsidized $25 Onn 4K streamer from Walmart can easily be turned into a snappy, ad-free, LAN hosted Jellyfin box, with remappable remote buttons after <10min of “effort” to install (and remove) a handful of apps.
I haven’t looked at the stock Google TV home screen on any of my devices in years.