You've found quite the hornets nest, it seems.
I pay for premium because YouTube does video delivery better than anyone else in the world, and it's not free for them to provide. Lots of things to hate about YouTube/Alphabet, but theft is a corrupt way of expressing discontentment.
Also, if I pay for premium, then content creators get paid, and I don't have to shell out for merch to not feel like a terrible person.
I hate Ggle as a corporation, but LOVE YouTube. With that being said, FreeTube, NewPipe, and InnerTunes will be used by me until YouTube/Ggle goes bankrupt. After they replaced G**gle Play Music with YouTube music I want them to burn a fiery death.
Have you tried Piped? It lets you watch Youtube without ads, though you can't use it to comment, but I say you should give it a try.
Installing ublock origins and sponsorblock is not jumping through hoops
And Google.with its basically infinite money should name it worthwhile to be paid for. But YouTube premium is garbage
I can't block the ads on my Roku TV, which is where most of my watching takes place.
Lol yeah downloading newpipe is suuuch a hoop to jump through. 🙄
Or you can use an ad-blocker. Also youtube is profitable just fine. If it wasn't Google would have shut it down a long time ago.
It's like saying AAA games should probably be way more than $60. Despite the fact they used to be $40... then $50... and more expensive carts have ALWAYS been around since the SNES? and definitely N64 days lol.
if youtube forces me to watch ads i will stop watching youtube. i'm fine with it not bein profitable.