Whatever happened to the Apple-branded Chromecast/TV Stick competitor? What indeed; however, some sources close to Apple allege that there was a team dedicated to such a product at one time. A cheaper version of Apple TV could have benefited some groups...however, it's apparently long gone now.
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Apple-once-considered-making-a-TV-dongle-sources.366641.0.html